The End Where I Begin
by DareToDair
Summary: At the end of one story, another starts. Following Chris and Peyton's divorce and the slow destruction of Brooke and Lucas's relationship, they all must learn to let go of the past and start fresh. Can two friends find a new beginning in each other?
1. A Step Away From You

**Chapter 1: A Step Away From You**

**AN: This story is set in an alternate universe where some things are the same as the show, some things vastly different. If you read our other story when we were still writing it, you'll notice some similarities, but that's only because we are once again getting inspiration for our former roleplay, but we promise, this is a much different story. The main characters are Brooke and Chris, but Peyton and Lucas will be featured a lot as well. Anyway, we hope you enjoy and please review! **

**~Alyssa & Kasey**

**~ C & B ~**

Letting out a breath of preparation, the young brunette hoisted the brown box into her arms for the fifth time in a row. This time she had a good grip on it, nothing inside falling out. Of course Brooke Davis's heaviest box of things sported her makeup.

It was Sunday. Usually on Sundays, Brooke was locked up in her home with a carton of Chinese takeout, a cherry lollipop and a liter of sprite working on new designs. Not much of a social life there but anything to get Victoria off of her back, right?

Looking around to see if she missed any other boxes in her former bedroom, the brunette headed outside and slid the cardboard box into the trunk of her car. The wind picked up, locks of chocolate brown blocking out hazel orbs. Shivering from the fall air, Brooke looked up at the house and bit her lip. So this is what it's come to, huh? Another best friend's betrayal and another time in Brooke's life where she was stuck picking up the pieces to her own heart.

**~ C & B ~**

_Brooke wore a wide smile, her clipboard hugged against her chest as she looked around at the filled racks of her store. Her new designs had come in that day and for the first time in her life, Victoria sported a proud smile, though that died out after a few seconds of course. But they were seconds Brooke would never forget. For once in her life she finally felt like she was going in the right direction. She had best friends, Lucas Scott as her boyfriend, a successful company, wealth, and a satisfied mother. What more could a girl ask for?_

_Instead of texting Lucas the news of her latest success, she informed her assistant Millicent that she'd be taking an extra hour on her lunch break before quickly heading out with that bubbly Brooke Davis smile everyone in town loved to see._

"_..No just one eggroll. Boyfriend doesn't like them," Brooke said with a light laugh, waiting patiently at the counter of the Chinese restaurant. Her phone buzzed and she slid it out from her purse and opened up her messages. Her smile only widened when she read the text message Chris sent to her in return of the news._

_**That's great, Dimples! Drinks on me later with the wife and Luke to celebrate.**_

_Letting out a breath, the brunette happily tucked her phone back into her bag and was finally given her food in a brown paper bag. _

"_Thank you," Brooke said politely, tipping a nice wad of bucks as she headed out of the restaurant. Her phone buzzed again, the name Haley lighting up. Still happy, the brunette was also a little confused as to what was taking Peyton so long to answer. Their lunch break was the same hour. She didn't dwell too much on it, however, nearly speeding to Luke's in anticipation._

_She would've rung the doorbell but that wouldn't be as fun as a full on surprise. Still, Brooke had a hard time finding the spare key. _Had it really been this long since she's visited her boyfriend at his own home? _Luckily for her, the front door was already unlocked. _That was weird_, she thought, _Lucas never had it unlocked unless someone else entered and didn't lock it behind them.

_Brooke heard familiar giggles and light laughs in the distance, the woman raising a brow. She still smiled, setting the Chinese down on the side table. Heels quietly clanked against the wooden floor as the brunette entered the living room to see her best friend and her boyfriend facing away from her on the couch._

_It went quiet then, both blondes staring at each other. Brooke recognized that stare. Somehow, she felt what was about to happen. Somewhere inside of her, she could feel the pain surface. But it was too late. Her best friend leaned in and pressed her lips to her boyfriend's. Brooke watched on as Lucas pushed her away on instinct._

_"Oh my gosh, Luke.. I didn't me-" Peyton stopped mid-sentence and followed Lucas's pained gaze to Brooke. Soon her own green eyes sported a pool of heavy guilt. "Brooke."_

_Instead of flipping out and pouring her hurt out in front of them, she pushed it all back. The selfless girl shook her head, taking a slow step back. Voice raspy, she spoke softly, "After everything he's done for you as a husband, how could you do this to Chris?"_

_Realization finally hit the young blonde and she stood up, her head shaking. Before she could explain herself, however, Brooke was out the door. She turned to Lucas who was also standing up. "Luke… I'm so sor-"_

"_Get out."_

_Without arguing, Peyton grabbed her bag from the armchair of the couch and was out the house without a glance back._

**~ C & B ~**

Now here Brooke was, exactly one month from that day. She'd ended up forgiving Lucas, giving him the benefit of the doubt that he hadn't kissed back. It wasn't his fault.

As for Peyton, well, they weren't enemies. The enemy game stopped after high school. They were adults now. Were they best friends? Absolutely not. Friends? Not a chance. Two women that lived in the same town? Pretty much.

Though they were back together, Brooke still distanced herself from Lucas. Not that he even noticed. Self preservation was something she never realized she had so much of. The same man is the reason why she is so guarded today. Nothing hurt more than giving someone your whole heart and them returning it in a million pieces.

But who wants to be alone? Loneliness was another thing Brooke was expert at. Loneliness was the reason she just shoved a brown box in her trunk.

When she first moved back to Tree Hill, she bought the house in a matter of minutes after looking inside. The power of wealth was on her side and she used it for as much fun as she could get. But one night about two weeks ago, she actually sat down in her living room and listened. She heard nothing. And that scared her. Being alone in a big house. Was it all necessary?

It never occurred to her why she and Lucas had never moved in together. It wasn't something she actually thought about a lot until now. And even now she wondered why she put out money for a small apartment when she had a boyfriend who had his own place.

Her phone buzzed and Brooke blinked a few times, quickly snapping back to reality. She looked down and smiled slightly at the text message she'd just received from Haley.

_Hey, B. Your Godson misses you. xoxo._

Attached to the text was a picture of four-year-old Jamie with chocolate ice cream all around his cheeks and nose. He always brought an automatic smile to her face. She'd sell her soul to the devil for him.

Getting into the car, Brooke tucked her phone away and started the engine. She knew exactly where she needed to be right now. It didn't take her very long to get to her destination, the brunette smiling widely as she exited the car and walked up to the front door of the house.

"Aunt Brooke!"

**~ C & B ~**

_Chris Keller Divorced!_

_Chris Keller… relationships issues?_

_Is this man with Chris Keller's wife… her lover?_

A heavy sigh snagged in Chris' throat and he slid the tabloids across the mahogany table. Clay barely even glanced before tossing them in the trash, in a heated game of monopoly with someone on his phone. His eyes lifted for a moment and he raised his brows, "Well what did you expect? At least now the divorce is final and you don't have to worry about her sullying the Keller name."

His eyes returned to his game and a smirk slid over his lips, "At least not any worse than you already have, man whore."

The musician laughed and kicked his friend's shin before standing, "Suck it! The Keller name is golden. People love me."

"People also love Justin Beiber, and I don't understand that either," he said smoothly.

Chris rolled his eyes and grabbed his jacket, "Whatever, asshole, you love me and you know it."

He grabbed his guitar case from the corner of Clay's living room and shoved the last piece of his muffin in his mouth, "Hey I'll see you at Tric tonight with Brooke and Haley. I have to stop by Lucas's place after work, but I'll meet you there."

Clay glanced up sharply, eyes narrowing a little as he looked at his friend as if he was crazy. Chris caught the look and sighed, "Dude, come on, it's not his fault Peyton cheated. It's not like he kissed back. I'm not gonna punish him because she chose him over me… that's not who Chris Keller is anymore."

**~ C & B ~**

"_You kissed my best friend? So what, do you love him now?"_

"_It wasn't…" she bit her bottom lip, "He didn't even kiss me back, Chris. I was lonely!"_

_The head shakes and clenched jaw she'd expected; the opaque gaze and broken guitar slammed to the floor, she hadn't been prepared for. Tears gathered in hazel eyes as if they belonged there, dripping in uneven streams down a face that hadn't truly smiled in months. Peyton Sawyer-Keller knelt on the scratched hardwood floor and avoided those blue, blue eyes that had made her fall in love with this man all those years ago. Her long, agile fingers stroked the shattered wood along the autographed name of her husband's favorite musician. _

_The gold of her wedding ring caught the light and for a moment she remained there, enraptured in memories of what once was and what she was almost certain would never be again._

_Her husband's gangly form seemed to melt into the cream walls he'd once begged her to paint green. A brokenness resided deep within each splash of navy in those baby blues – something she would never forgive herself (or him) for causing. Her eyes careened south over the wrinkles in his pants and the mismatched buttons of his favorite plaid shirt; green and blue, two colors she would forever associate with the boy turned man she had spent the last 4 years of her life being married to. The man who seemed to lose a little more of himself every single day._

_Finally Chris spoke, voice a raspy mess, "How could you cheat on me? And with my best friend? I… I would have done anything for you, Peyton. I didn't deserve this!"_

_The broken guitar clattered to the floor again as Peyton stood, her fiery eyes turning on him, "Don't you dare! Don't you dare try to act like I was the only one at fault here! If you had actually shown me for two seconds that you care-"_

"_You think I don't care?" He looked at her as if she was crazy, arms gesturing around their home as his voice rose, "I gave up my career for you, Peyton! I treat you like you are a goddess. So don't act like I was some horrible husband! YOU cheated! Not me."_

"_Chris…"_

"_We're done."_

_He stepped back, eyes falling to their wedding picture on the wall, "You can have the house. I'll be out in a week. I just can't do this with you anymore. We've been over for a long time, and I just can't…"_

_It was the last time he'd look at that picture and the last time he'd look at her and still be a husband._

**~ C & B ~**

Chris shook the memory away and shot Clay a smile, eyes falling to his bare ring finger for only a moment before he finally headed out the door.

He'd stayed with Clay for the first week, and then on Brooke's couch for two days, before finally just deciding to rent an apartment near the studio. Sure, he could afford to buy a new house, but it seemed wrong to him somehow, just buying a new place and pretending like he didn't miss the old one.

That was probably the saddest part of their divorce… realizing he'd miss their house more than he missed her. To be honest, he didn't miss her much at all anymore.

They'd fallen in love in high school and gotten married three days before Chris's 19th birthday. And for three short years, they were happy together. They had their problems and petty fights, but they always found their way back to each other. They'd believed their love to be fate. That they were inevitable.

At least until Chris left for his second tour. And then everything went downhill with no way to fix it.

Neither made time for the other, and when they did talk, Peyton was moody and avoided anything serious. It was like someone flipped a switch and their happy, cheery marriage became a den of deceit and avoidance. They'd fought it for months but nothing ever seemed to really get any better. Chris still felt like Peyton wasn't trying enough. And Peyton still resented him for leaving her for music.

So he stopped.

He came back to Tree Hill two months early, broke his contract with the recording agency, and focused solely on making their marriage work at all costs. He was miserable without the music, but he'd always said he could give it up if something better came along.

Too bad his something better didn't end up working out.

He shut the door to the studio and pulled out his newest guitar, fingers sliding over the glossy wood for the first time. He'd spotted it a week ago at an antique store and had to have it. He was going to get the real Chris Keller back again:

_Cocky. Fun. Happy._

He would be those things again. No more broken marriage… no more unhappiness.


	2. What I Wanted to Say

**Chapter 2: What I Wanted to Say…**

**AN: Thanks so much to the people who read, reviewed, and favorited this story. We really appreciate all the love and hope you guys enjoy this chapter! **

**~ C & B ~**

"Guess who?" Brooke asked gently, her purse hanging at the fold of her arm where her elbow was. She smiled widely, her head tilted as she waited for Lucas to speak. She had finished unpacking most of her things in the small apartment she now owned, the brunette figuring it wouldn't hurt to see her boyfriend for a few.

"I can't see the screen, Brooke," Lucas said with a slight annoyance in his tone as he waited impatiently for her hands to stop blocking his view. The second they fell, he continued to type away, his frustrated blue eyes staring intently on the lighted up screen.

"Having a hard time writing today, baby?" Brooke asked as she took a seat on the corner of the bed. She grabbed her purse and slid it off of her arm, the black leather falling on her lap.

"Just a little," Lucas said, running a hand over his forehead. Letting out a sigh, he gave up and decided to work on it later when his brain was refreshed.

Standing up, he gave Brooke a quick kiss before grabbing his water bottle. "What's up, need something?"

"Just wanted to spend some time with my favorite guy," Brooke said with a small smile, shrugging a little as she turned her head a little to look at him.

"What do you say? Wanna go grab a bite to eat, come back here, watch a movie and maybe make out a little?"

Lucas shook his head, not even cracking a smile. He lowered the water bottle from his lips and nodded towards the clock, "I have plans in about 20 minutes actually and when I get back, I need to finish up a few things on the story."

"Oh," Brooke said, her voice a little raspy as she nodded her head and folded her hands together above her purse. "Well, um, with who?"

The knock on the door caused both of them to look over, Peyton walking in and smiling widely at Lucas, "Got the burned CD's. We can just pop them into the radio and we're good to go." She looked at his bed and met the eyes of her ex best friend.

"Oh, I get it," Brooke said softly as she stood up and hoisted her purse over her shoulders. She was about to move when Lucas grabbed her wrist.

Turning to him, she automatically shook her head, "No. I get it. It's cool. Just call me whenever you can, okay?"

She passed by Peyton and made absolutely no eye contact, not for a second trusting the blonde girl but putting all her heart and soul out to Lucas and trusting it was nothing more than a friendly visit. She needed him. She had no choice but to convince herself.

**~ C & B ~**

Baby blues narrowed in on the familiar car pulling out of Lucas's driveway. He'd know that comet anywhere, having spent the second half of high school in the backseat of it with Peyton. She waved at Lucas and Chris couldn't help the way his chest tightened at the small exchange between them. He and Peyton had been over for a long time now and though he didn't want to be with her anymore, he didn't exactly want her with his best friend either.

The black Mustang replaced the comet in the driveway and Chris slowly made his way up the steps, considering turning around and bailing. Thing had been tense between them after the "incident," as Lucas liked to call it… you know, when he wasn't avoiding the topic all together. And now Chris could only feel his own tension growing.

He didn't bother to knock, pushing the front door open and walking straight in. Lucas glanced up with a smile, his fingers tapping away at his laptop even as he greeted his friend, "Hey, man, I forgot you were stopping by. You're lucky you got here when you did, I was just about to dive right in."

_Into what? My ex wife's pants?_

Chris bristled, ready to retort, but Lucas beat him to it.

"It's the strangest thing, I haven't been able to write at all in months, but suddenly I can't get the words to stop. There's so much I want to say now," he glanced up, an excited glint in his eye, "I feel like I don't really have time for much else."

"You seem to have plenty of time to hang out with Peyton."

Two pairs of blue eyes met, sweat forming on Lucas's brow, "We're friends, dude, you know that."

Chris crossed his arms over his chest, converse tapping against the hardwood lightly, "You seem a little more than that to me. And if I see it, I'm sure Brooke does too."

Lucas shook his head, closing his laptop and looking unconcerned, "Brooke is fine. She trusts me with Peyton."

"Well, I don't," Chris admitted, ignoring the hurt look on his friend's face, "Look you're a good guy and you have good intentions, but your good intentions ruined my marriage. Don't let them ruin your relationship with Brooke too."

"Brooke is not going to break up with me," Lucas said it softly but with a sureness that grated on the musician's nerves, "She loves me."

"Maybe she should," Chris muttered, words going unheard as Lucas continued.

"But Peyton needs a friend right now. She doesn't really have anyone."

"That's because she cheated on everyone else," Chris spoke bitterly, shaking his head, "You know what, I'm gonna go. Watch your back, Luke. Peyton will bring you down too."

**~ C & B ~**

Brooke ran a stressful hand down her cheek slowly, tired hazel eyes on the mirror in her bathroom. Work always wore her out, but today she let the Lucas and Peyton incident get to her. She trusted Lucas, but she was jealous. Why was she always a step late when it came to making plans? It seemed like she was always a step too late. It was as if alls Lucas wanted to do was call her his and that be the end of it.

Brooke kicked off her heels but kept her work clothes on, tossing her hair into a neat ponytail as she walked into her kitchen. It was a lot smaller than her old house. Everything was closer together. It was a one bedroom, one bathroom, simple living room and dining room and a kitchen with a hall closet. It was perfect.

Never one to learn how to cook, she grabbed the Chinese menu and glanced at the clock. Closing was soon. She had to wait for Chris to show up, the two of them always spending the night at the other's place at least once a week as a weekly routine. It was simple for the most part, like any other friends hanging out. There was Chinese, board games, TV, and bets.

"Where the hell are you?" Brooke muttered under her breath, tapping her fingers impatiently on the marble counters. She glanced over at the door when there was a rhythmic knock, the brunette adjusting her pencil skirt as she opened the door. Her head tilted, hazel eyes narrowing, "Fashionably late so doesn't fit you, you know."

"My bad, Dimples," he leaned in and brushed his lips over the apple of her cheek before pushing his way into the apartment. He kicked his shoes off, loosened his tie, and unbuttoned the first two buttons of his dress shirt.

He walked over and plopped down on his spot on the couch, tilting his head up to look at her as she stood directly above him behind the couch, "Did you order yet? You know I want extra egg rolls!"

Brooke raised a brow and rested her hand on the top of his head, amused by his set of hair since day one of their meeting. "Okay," she began slowly, "every single time we do this, you ask me the same thing. And what is my response?"

She flicked him lightly when he didn't respond and she circled the couch and plopped down next to him with the menu in her hand, "I say Chris Keller needs to wait patiently and be happy with what he gets."

"Well Chris Keller is starving," he said dramatically, snatching the menu away and looking through it as if he wasn't going to order the same thing he always did. Finally he handed it back, tapping her knee with his with a grin, "I'll have my usual. Four extra egg rolls! No, no! Five!"

He nodded resolutely, "Yes, five is the perfect number."

He waited a moment for her to order, the girl still staring at him, "Well go on! Order already. If the food isn't here yet, I may have to take a bite outta you."

Brooke gave him a look and after a minute, shook her head and rolled her eyes, "You wish."

She stood up then and walked over to the kitchen, quietly placing the order before walking back into the living room. "I don't get it. You eat 5 eggrolls and gain nothing. I eat 3 and gain a gut. The world is so fucked up."

"Oh shut up. You're hot and you know it," he laughed, snatching her wrist and pulling her down onto the couch with him. He poked her side, pretending to be examining her while lightly tickling her, "You seem skinny enough to me."

Brooke, being insanely ticklish at one touch, had her head thrown back and she was swatting his hands away with as much energy she could give out. "Okay, okay!" She kicked her feet up, the red nail polish glimmering in the light of the living room. "I'm skinny!"

Once she slid over to the far end of the couch so he couldn't reach for her, Brooke smirked and hugged the pillow to her chest, "I forget, did you say you and Lucas had plans earlier in the day?"

Chris nodded, leaning his head back against the back of the couch and giving her a small forced smile, "Yeah we just talked for a bit. Apparently he's working on his newest novel or something."

His tone was disinterested, but he tried to hide it, shrugging one shoulder, "I was trying to listen, but sometimes he just goes on and on about all that boring stuff and I zone out."

"Wouldn't know," Brooke mumbled under her breath, shooting him a smile when their eyes met. It was insane how Lucas always stopped what he was doing to have male bonding time with Chris, but whenever Brooke asked if they could do a simple dinner, Lucas buried himself in his work… and Peyton. But his career came before their relationship and Brooke understood that. Being selfish was something she was afraid he'd think of her. Even though it was painful to be altruistic, it was better than egocentric. "So what's the update on you and your lame ass music?"

His face fell a little and he shrugged as his eyes fell away from her, "It's fine. I guess."

He didn't say anything else until their eyes met, a heavy sigh escaping his lips. He grabbed the other pillow and played with it absentmindedly, "I haven't written anything in months and the label doesn't want to re-sign me. They're afraid I'll quit again. And even if they did hire me," his shoulder rose again, "It's not like I have anything to give them. Chris Keller is officially a has-been."

Brooke gave him a mocking heavy sigh and raised a brow, "Now, being dramatic and totally rockstarish isn't going to get you anywhere. Let's brainstorm."

An hour later, both of them were sprawled out on the living room floor with a bunch of papers tossed in a hat and their Chinese food in between them. "Okay! I'll pick out of the hat. Whichever piece of paper I pick, you must write a song about." Her fingers rummaged around the hat and she pulled out a small piece of paper, her eyes filled with amusement once she read it, "A song that mentions the color pink. Woo!"

He laughed and rolled his eyes, "Fine fine. Pick another. No wait, I want to!"

He smacked her hand out of the hat and pulled one out, raising his brow and holding it up to her: _Brooke Davis and how awesome she is._

"Really? When did you sneak this in? I thought I was the vain one!"

"Well I am awesome," Brooke teased, leaning over slowly and trying to sneak one of his eggrolls away. "You may as well start being legit! Clearly the love songs aren't doing it."

He grabbed her wrist just as she got hold of it. They had a stare off, the boy smirking as he brought her hand to his mouth and ate half the eggroll straight from her fingers, his tongue brushing her palm as he tried to fit more in his mouth.

Brooke couldn't help but smile, keeping her hand at his mouth before raising a brow and realizing what was actually taking place. "Ew! Chris Keller needs to stop licking things with his HIV infested tongue."

He managed to curl his tongue around the rest of the eggroll, sucking it into his mouth. He grinned proudly as he chewed, brows rising teasingly, "You should see what else I can do with my tongue."

Brooke made a gagging noise and shook her head, "Should. Can't. Won't. Too bad!" She leaned over and reached for the last eggroll, his hand going over hers. Challenging hazels met challenging blues, both of them not moving a muscle. Brooke was going to get this last eggroll damnit. She got on her knees and leaned forward, her cleavage showing more and more as her shirt slid with every inch she moved forward. "Can Brookie please have the last eggroll?"

Chris tried to keep his eyes up but they fell anyway. His hand went slack over hers and he licked his lips a little, swallowing hard when she shifted. He didn't even realize she'd taken the eggroll until he heard her giggle around a bite of it.

He glanced up with wide eyes, pointing at her, "That was mean! You're all… 'look at me, I'm a girl with boobs,'" he mocked her voice, going all squeaky and extra raspy at the same time, "No guy can avoid looking!"

"Some can," Brooke said with a shrug from firsthand experience at her failed attempts to get Lucas to even kiss her. She ignored the feeling of rejection and uncomfortable stomach feeling, taking one last bite before giving the rest to Chris. "Consider the rest of this a present for being… I got nothing!" She sent him a wink and stood up then, picking up the rest of the Chinese food and setting it on the kitchen counter. "I'm gonna go change into some comfortable clothes, I'll be back."

He watched her go, spotting that look she sometimes got in her eyes. He still wasn't sure what it meant, but it was usually his sign that he needed to do something to cheer her up. He put in her favorite movie even though he hated it and pulled his tie off completely, getting comfortable on the couch as he waited.

When she came back, he looked over at her, eyes somehow softening and widening at the same time. "Wow," he whispered to himself.

Brooke's eyes widened when she saw The Princess Bride pop up on the screen, her smile getting bigger when she looked at Chris, "Really? You wanna watch it? You hate romantic movies!" She took a seat next to him on the couch and leaned over, the light fading out so the TV screen stuck out more. "Is Chris Keller actually thinking of other people?"

"Psh, never!" he pulled her legs over his lap like he did every time he was over and slipped the throw blanket over her legs to keep her warm, "I love this movie."

They shared a small, secret smile, the girl knowing he hated this movie more than anything, "It's my favorite one."

"Now why can't Chris Keller be this nice all the time?" Brooke asked with a smirk, her eyes now glued to the TV. Half way through she switched positions and sat up, scooting closer so her head was resting on his shoulder and her hand on his upper thigh.

Chris glanced down at her hand, the single boy in him taking note of exactly where it was, but the friend in him just slid his arm around her shoulders. Her head cradled more comfortably into his shoulder and neck and he let his cheek fall against her hair, the scent of strawberry slowly rising to his nose.

Once the movie was over, Brooke let out a big yawn and brought her head up. She made a face of annoyance when she saw Chris's head had fallen back somewhere in the last minutes of the movie and he was passed out. "You're a dickwad," she muttered, the word dickwad giving her an idea. She slowly creeped her fingers up his thigh, not touching him in his manhood but fairly close to. "Up!"

Chris didn't wake up, shifting a little and pressing his thigh more into her hand. His head moved forward and his lips lightly brushed the side of her neck, his breaths letting her know he was still completely asleep.

The brunette closed her eyes for a second, chewing on her bottom lip before she opened them and realized he was still asleep. She huffed and slid into his lap, leg on either side of him. "Asshole, get up! Get up! Oh look! More eggrolls!"

Chris's eyes shot open then, the boy blinking hard in confusion as he looked at her, "Eggrolls?"

"Wanna know something? Guys suck," Brooke said as she gave him a shove back against the soft couch. "They don't care about anything other than their careers and food. A girl tries to get their attention? Forget it."

Chris frowned deeply, thinking back on all the times Peyton had accused him of only caring about his career and not her. He swallowed hard, voice coming out a rasp, "I don't neglect the people in my life for my career."

"I know," Brooke said softly, her voice going back to being stern right after though. "I'm talking about you caring about food. The mention of an eggroll and you're up and about." She ruffled his hair and tilted her head, "Have good 10 minute dreams?"

He leaned his head into her hand a little and nodded, eyes lighting up softly, "I remember strawberries. I could smell them everywhere."

He licked his lips and a little, brows furrowing, "I can almost still taste them. Isn't that a weird thing to dream about?"

Brooke snorted and shook her head, "Clearly that dream sucked if the famous fashion designer Brooke Davis wasn't in it."

The boy moved his hands to her hips subtly, fingers toying with the pockets of her pajama shorts, "I haven't really dreamed in a long time. It's hard to sleep in that apartment. The bed is terrible and the couch is even worse."

"Oh, it's not enough for Chris Keller's needs?" Brooke teased with a smirk, bouncing a little. Her eyes searched his for a second and found nothing readable. Somehow, he seemed happier though the thought of Peyton was still a sensitive one. Like, he was free and finally following the right direction. Brooke figured music was the cause for that even though he was having trouble and she was going to stay by his side throughout his whole career. Besides, she WILL get a song with the word pink in it one day. "How's my couch?"

"Better than mine but still pretty rough."

He kissed her nose when she wrinkled it, rolling his eyes playfully, "I can deal."

He leaned in as if he was going to kiss her, their eyes meeting in a playful challenging gaze before suddenly he had her on her back, his fingers digging into her skin. The dangerous mood was broken then, her shrieks filling the apartment as he tickled her mercilessly.

"Ah! No, no. Stop!" Brooke squealed out, her laughter increasing. She flailed her arms around and tried to escape but he was stronger than her. "Chris!" Once he finally gave in, she swatted his arm and sat up, giving her hair a quick comb through. "Rude ass."

She swatted him again and stood up from the couch, straightening out her clothes. "It's getting kin-" she yawned and stretched her arms out, "kinda late. You should probably head out before it gets too dark."

He pouted and ruffled her hair, "Oh come on, one more movie! Please."

He gave her those eyes he knew even she had trouble denying, "Please, Brookie. Chris Keller doesn't want to go home to his lonely apartment."

"Do you want to stay the night or something?" Brooke asked, shrugging a little as she motioned around herself for emphasis at the tiny space. "I mean, it's not luxurious for your famous people needs and it's not really big but I don't mind."

He met her eyes and gave a small nod, "Thanks, Dimples. Chris Keller's not so good at being alone."

Brooke left the room and came back with a pair of clothes, shrugging a little at Chris's look, "Something Lucas never claimed back from centuries ago. It should fit you perfectly." Once he was changed, they both sat back down on the couch and began watching Nightmare On Elm Street just for Chris. Somewhere in the night, Brooke's eyes slowly began to drift shut, her final words for the night coming out in a murmur, "Don't leave."


	3. The Beauty In Walking Away

**Chapter 3: The Beauty in Walking Away**

**AN: You guys have been so sweet with all the reviews and favorites and alerts! Thank you so much! We hope you enjoy this chapter! **

**~ C & B ~**

Brooke leaned forward on the counter, elbows pressed against the smooth purple surface. "Yeah," she nodded, the phone pressed to her ear as she let out a quiet breath. "Remember to make it to lunch by noon, okay? It's gonna be an early one today since Bitchtoria's up my ass."

In one of those rare moments, she actually heard Lucas laugh in amusement on the other end. "Not funny!"

"Sorry, sorry. That nickname is just a classic. You've been using it since I met you," Lucas said on the other end. "Noon it is."

She heard the click and didn't bother with the I love you's and sweet goodbye, just about to put her phone in her purse when Victoria passed by and did a quick snatch of the phone, "What is this? Gossiping on the job, Brooke? Get back to work."

"Remind me again why I invited you here?" Brooke asked with an eyeroll, silver heels clanking rhythmically across polished wooden floors as she walked over to one of the clothing racks and began reorganizing them by size. "Oh right, I didn't invite you here. So you can leave."

The older woman ignored the rude statement and walked over to the cash register, opening it up and examining the bills of green. She let out a disapproving grumble and looked up at her only daughter. "Why isn't there more money in here?"

"Because," Brooke said slowly, looking up at Victoria for a split second before refocusing on the organizing, "unlike you, some people's lives consist of more than just style, _Mother_."

Victoria looked up at Brooke, two pairs of hazel eyes staring each other down with challenge. "Call me Victoria. You know Mother makes me sound way older than what I am. Ugh, sickening."

"Whatever you say, Bitchtoria," Brooke muttered under her breath as she walked over to the counter and checked off a few things on the clipboard. "I'm gonna head out to lunch."

"Oh sure, why worry about your multi-million dollar company when you can go give yourself totally unneeded food?" Victoria asked with the roll of her eyes. "Where's that bore of an assistant at? Millicent!" In a quick second, the nerdy assistant was by Victoria's side, "Fetch me the number to the Mall on Kendricks Street."

Brooke shared an apologetic look with Millicent while sliding the purse over her shoulder. "I owe you," she mouthed, leaving the store in a hurry to get out of her mom's dark and sinister presence. Once she was a block away from the store, she had her back pressed up against a brick wall and her hand sliding down her face. A day when Victoria completely ignored her was a good day. At least she didn't have to hear her bitch about everything.

**~ C & B ~**

One in the afternoon. Lucas was an hour late. Brooke called him and called him and then finally gave up. Just as she was about to get up from her chair on the outside of the coffee shop, she heard someone yelling her name in the distance.

"..ooke! Brooke!"

She turned around, the sun catching her eyes as she squinted. There he was. Those gorgeous blue eyes staring at her from up ahead apologetically. Those gorgeous blue eyes that had stopped making her feel like a fluttery princess a long time ago. "Luke, you're late."

He jogged over lightly and placed a light kiss over the top of her forehead before sitting down on the chair across from her. "Sorry, I got caught up in the story and lost track of time. This mine?" he asked, raising the Styrofoam cup in the air and taking a sip when she nodded her head. "Mmm, my favorite."

"What's my favorite?" Brooke asked with a small smile, wondering if he still remembered like he did in high school when he'd bring her some every single day on their senior year.

She watched on as his eyes went a little dark in concentration, the blonde seeming to struggle. "Light on the foam?"

Although it was something small, Brooke still felt a little pierce of hurt inside. That was their thing. They were supposed to know everything about each other from front to back and he couldn't even remember her favorite type of coffee.

_Stop it, Brooke. You're just trying to find a new way to feel sorry for yourself. Dismal. He actually took time out of his own working schedule to see your pathetic ass._

"Extra foam."

"Right!" Lucas said, holding up a hand and pointing a finger at her cup as he lay back against the chair. "New it had something to do with foam." He sent her a wink and the two of them sipped on their coffee for a few minutes in silence, their eyes wandering around their surroundings.

"So..." Lucas said slowly, toying with the top of his coffee lid. "What's new?"

Brooke shrugged her shoulders, her fingers slowly trickling up and down her left arm as she looked him over. Had he always been this calm and chill with life? How come he seemed so content with where everything was and she felt like everything could fall apart any minute now? And when did he get that haircut? What about that shirt? He told Brooke before that plaid was stupid and now here he was, sporting a blue plaid shirt with the cuffs rolled up to his elbows and a white shirt underneath.

_You're standing still, Brookie. In the same spot while everyone moves on._

"Well, I'm working on a few new designs," Brooke said, smiling a little to herself as she reached down into her purse and took out a file of sketches. She slid it over the table and watched his face for his reaction of her latest designs. "They're a little rough but I think I can work with them, you know?"

Lucas nodded his head mindlessly, letting the coffee cup fall back onto the table as he opened the file and slowly flipped through each design. He raised his brow, disapprovingly lifting up one of the papers, "Um, why is half her shirt even missing?"

"It's the style of the shirt," Brooke said softly, leaning over further to peak at the shirt he was talking about. This one was designed by Brooke with the help of Millicent. They were a good team together. Did Lucas ever even meet Millie?

"I wouldn't want you wearing that," Lucas said with a laugh, not realizing how that sounded as he slid the paper back into its file. He skimmed the rest in a quick uninterested fashion, sliding the file back over to her. Tapping his fingers on the table, he gave her a light smile, "They're cool."

Cool?

"Thanks." Tucking the file away, Brooke was about to ask him how his life was doing until his phone buzzed, the name Peyton lighting up across the screen.

There was her answer.

"Hello?" Lucas asked, once he picked up. His face went from chill to total excitement and happiness and he nodded his head. "Yeah, I'll be there in a few minutes I'm not too far from Tric…okay, later, Peyt." Brooke watched as he tucked his phone away, his smile wide as he stood up, "Brooke, that was Peyton. She said she wanted me to co-write a song for her latest artist. Isn't that insane?" Without waiting for her opinion, he leaned over and gave her a nothing kiss on the lips, "Call me, later okay? I wanna tell you all about it."

"Okay," Brooke said softly as she watched him quickly walk off the opposite direction with the coffee cup gripped in his hand. Instead of getting up and heading back to work to face a headache along with Victoria, the brunette decided to have a little lunch alone. Alone was usually how it was anyways. At least she was outdoors and not stuck in her small apartment.

**~ C & B ~**

Even the twang of auto tuned country music couldn't bring Chris down tonight. The man laughed and dropped his head back as his colleagues went back and forth with stories about their girlfriends and wives. He'd met most of them so he could picture their stories perfectly, but to some he merely smiled and nodded his head.

Right after the divorce, they'd all kind of shut him out, feeling weird about knowing all the intimate details from the tabloids rather than him. But things had worked themselves out in the weeks following his divorce, the musician finally getting his own head together and figuring out what he wanted to do with his life after Peyton.

He spotted Clay across the bar and excused himself, smacking the other guy on the back as he sank into the seat next to him, "Hey, asshole."

"Hey, fucker," Clay smirked, waving to the bartender to bring him another beer, sliding it to Chris with a tilt of his head. "I didn't expect to see you here tonight. What happened to your big meeting?"

Chris lifted one shoulder in the direction of his friends from work and took a deep swig of the bottle, "The guys decided they'd rather discuss their wives than the future of the label. I told them Chris Keller doesn't work for shitty people."

The blonde raised his brow, "And they said..?"

"Suck it up, Keller, and come get a drink. You're a producer now, no more being a pussy," he imitated his boss's voice, taking another swig as blue eyes rolled to the side. He sighed dramatically, "I miss being a rockstar sometimes."

His friend laughed, looking confused, "I thought you said they were willing to pick up your contract. What changed?"

"I turned it down."

That was it. No explanations. No details. Just _I turned it down._

"Keller, get your ass back over here. Next round is on you!"

"I have got to get out of here," he sighed, tipping his beer toward Clay before shooting the rest of it back, "Thanks for the beer. I owe you, dude."

He headed back to the table and threw down a fifty as he snatched his jacket up, "I've got to get home, but go wild!"

The cool air felt amazing against his skin, the boy exhaling slowly as he started the long walk back to his apartment. It was nights like this that he craved most, the silence rushing over him like rain. He'd had many nights like in the last year, preferring the calmness of the night to the chaos of his marriage and life on the road. And it fit the new life he wanted to live.

The things in his life he now wanted.

His eyes shifted up and he was surprised to find Brooke, the girl staring at him with the same surprised expression from across the street. They met somewhere in the middle and without a word between them fell into step.

As if it was some sort of routine, the only sounds that were heard in between the two best friends in the night were the clanking of Brooke's selected pair of heels and the humming of one of Chris's songs.

_He would be humming his OWN song. Oh Christopher._

"So where were you coming from, Mr. Keller? Let me guess, let me guess." Brooke stopped in her steps and held her hands up. "You and Clay were at Tric hooking up with two hot to die for blondes that won't even remember you by sunrise?"

"You're half right," he snorted, shoving his hands into his pockets and bowing his head, "_Clay_ was on his way home with two blondes. But blonde isn't really my thing these days. I'm more into gingers."

He laughed loudly at her disgusted face and side stepped her smack, nudging her with his elbow, "I actually had a work meeting turned party. I bailed before I had to watch my boss nail a girl I'm 97.12 percent sure was a hooker."

Brooke wrinkled up her nose in disgust at the thought of that before smiling widely and shrugging. "Well, I guess it's a good thing I'm my own boss. I wouldn't mind watching myself nail an insanely hot model guy. Not a hooker. That's just gross."

She shook her head upon the thought and gave him a smartass smile, "So, I know you're wondering where I was headed, so I figure I'll tell you before you beg asking me." She stepped in front of him and unbuttoned her jacket, revealing her dark red strapless dress that rested on her mid-thigh, "I was shopping. Shocker. Isn't it fab?"

Chris slowly let out a breath, blue eyes darkening as they slid down her tiny frame. His voice cracked a little, though he tried to keep it in check, "Fab is one word for it."

Brooke snorted at his words and raised her brow slowly, taking note of how his eyes kept trailing around her curves and goods. "Christopher, try not to drool and close your mouth." She buttoned her jacket back up and started walking again, smiling widely at his reaction.

He trailed after her like a lost puppy, tripping over himself a few times as he tried to keep up. They passed by the street where the girl had grown up, Chris absentmindedly slinging his arm around her shoulders as they passed the red door that had once been the symbol of this girl's uniqueness. He came to a stop in front of a smaller, though equally nice house, glancing at her from the corner of his eyes, "This is where I want to move when I adopt."

He looked at the house in awe, baby blues wide and excited as if he hadn't just sprung something entirely new and foreign on her, "The apartment's nice but it's not big enough for what I want."

Brooke's eyes widened in surprise, his words replaying in her mind over and over again. Adopt? Chris Keller? Who would've thought? But now that she thought about it, it kind of made sense. A child was something he always wanted. Something Peyton was never able to give him. They both wanted different things.

The brunette looked him over, his smile and the look in his baby blues causing her to sport her own smile. "Wow, adoption? Really? That's… that's amazing, Chris!"

"You think?"

He looked at her with hope, smile widening, "I always wanted kids, but you know Peyton didn't, so I thought I'd never be able to. But now, now it feels right. I think I can do this."

"I know you can," Brooke said with a warmth and confidence in her voice that she only ever used specifically for her best friends. She gave his hand a light squeeze with her own, "You deserve to love and be loved. This is a great idea… who knew you had a brain?"

"A few people suspected, but there was never any confirmation," he quipped, tugging her hand to pull her into his grip. He hugged her to him and closed his eyes, a quiet but strong breath escaping his lips, "My kid's gonna love you. Kid's always love smartasses."

"If it's a girl, Aunt Brooke is gonna spoil her and play dress up with her… same with a boy," Brooke muttered, giving him a hug back. The night breeze picked up and whirled around them, the brunette hugging him tighter and absorbing his body heat. "You're like a comfy teddy bear with a built in heater."

"Can't say I've ever been told that before," he laughed quietly and nodded to the old house, fingers sliding up and down her back slowly for heat, "You wanna see the inside? It's up for sale and I know where they stashed the key."

"Um hell yeah," Brooke said with a laugh, pulling back and walking ahead of him eagerly. "Bet you charmed the realtor into telling you the secret spot for the key. There's no way your brain cells were capable of actually finding it."

"Oh cuz you're such a brain," he mocked, pulling the key from the top of the door frame and letting them in. He flipped on the lights and led her to the furnished living room, "I bet cheerleading really made you feel like a genius. Taught you to spell and everything."

"Sweetie, don't act like you didn't come to those football and basketball games to see Peyton shake it in the mini skirt. You know it was for me," Brooke teased mindlessly, her eyes widening in fascination at the furnished room. She walked around slowly, taking everything in. Somehow, she felt a sense of home rush over her, the brunette feeling safe and comforted. "Wow."

Chris glanced at her, smile soft and calm, "It's perfect, right? I was looking at it before we ever signed the papers. I came here and I felt like I was finally home. Follow me."

He took the stairs two at a time, leading her up to the master bedroom. There was a door within the room leading to a smaller bedroom and he opened it, this room empty except for the yellow dresser that matched the paint on the walls, "I was thinking, the baby's room. Assuming the adoption goes through."

"So it's gonna be a girl?" Brooke asked as she looked through the room with awe. "Because yellow is so not for boys. Unless you're into 70's retro."

He shrugged his shoulders, "Oh I don't have a clue yet. This place is still set up from the open house. I would repaint either way; I'm not a fan of yellow."

He glanced over, "So, what do you think overall?"

"This place is incredible," Brooke said with a wide smile, crossing her arms over her chest and looking over at him. "You did good, Keller. I'm impressed. This baby's gonna have a kickass father and a kickass home to be raised in."

"And a kickass aunt to babysit when Daddy gets all worn out and stressed," he tacked on, shooting her a wink.

"I finally feel like my life is coming together. I'm off tour. I'm single. And I'm ready to start my life."

His life is coming together, mine is falling apart.

Brooke smiled widely and shot him a wink back, "You deserve it, Keller. Being off tour but still able to deal with music, single but ready to mingle. You're set." She backed up a little and nodded towards the door, "Wanna jet?"

He followed her out, a comfortable silence between them. She shivered a little and he stepped over, arm slipping back around her shoulders so that she settled into his side. Blue met hazel and both smiled. "Thanks for always having my back, Davis. I could use more people like you in my life."

"Well," the brunette did a hair flip, her brown locks floating around the swirls of wind that continued to brush past them, her scent filling the air around them. "I've been told that once or twice. Continue."

His head fell back as he laughed and he gave her a squeeze, "If I was Lucas, I'd hold onto you tight. You're definitely a keeper."

"Right," Brooke said, keeping her mind off of Lucas. She stepped in front of him and smiled widely, "I just got the best tub of strawberry ice cream. It's back at my place. Come and bask in the strawberry with me!"

"Um I never turn down ice cream," he said seriously, hands landing on her waist and turning her back around, "Walk faster and feed me, woman."

Brooke giggled and tried to walk as fast as she could, the brunette expert in power walking with heels from all the Black Friday sales she's brought herself into over the years. She didn't necessarily care for the sales, at least not anymore. She had all the money she needed. It was all for the thrill. Shopping was her drug.

Once they were back in her apartment, both of them sat on her kitchen counter with the tub in between them and two giant spoons. Brooke stole his spoon and licked up the ice cream, hazel eyes meeting amused blue. "Sharing is caring."

And so they went on for the rest of the night, two best friends enjoying each other's presence, the brunette forgetting about her tumbling down world. Her phone vibrated twice and she stopped basking in the strawberry to check to see who was calling.

Lucas's name lit up on the screen and she frowned for a second, thinking over their meeting earlier that day. He had told her to call him so he could tell her all about his participation in co-writing a song with one of Peyton's artists. But Brooke didn't and for once in her life she didn't stop everything she was doing in the opportunity to talk to him.

_Ignore._


	4. What Does Your Heart Say?

**Chapter 4: What Does Your Heart Say?**

**AN: Oh my gosh, you guys have been so sweet! We are loving all the reviews and favorites! You are awesome! This chapter is a little shorter, but we hope you like it all the same! And stay patient guys! They're happening soon! Review!**

**~ C & B ~**

The inside of his bottom lip burned and he only dug his teeth in deeper. The ache was comforting. It was something he could cling to as his anxiety grew more by the second. Another stack of papers was set to the side and the rhythmic beat of the stapler matched the nervous twitch in his knee.

The woman hadn't looked up at him once.

She flipped through her papers, jotting down random notes and highlighting words he couldn't even define. For a half hour now he'd been sitting here, waiting to hear back from this woman about the progress of his adoption. It had been two months and though most people seeking an adoption wouldn't have heard back this quickly, his name and reputation had pushed him to the top of the list.

_Fame _is _good for something, after all!_

Finally gray eyes met blue, the woman sending a practiced smile his way, "Mr. Keller, I have some good news and I have some bad news. The good news is, we're sending someone out to interview your friends, family, work friends. Pretty much anyone who knows you and could tell us if you'd be a good fit for this."

"And the bad news?" he questioned softly, teeth digging again into soft flesh.

"The bad news," she started, reaching back into her file and pulling out a few magazine clippings, "is that even though your name got you this far into the adoption, your name is also hurting you. You have quite the reputation, Mr. Keller. And not a good one."

Brows furrowed, "But everyone has a past."

Her brow rose a little, clearly uninterested in whatever sob story she felt he was about to feed her, "True. But not everyone's past is posted all over the tabloids. There are rumors of drugs, promiscuous activity, alcohol abuse. This isn't looking good for you."

"Most of those are lies!" his voice rose a little more than he intended and the woman frowned deeply, making a note.

"Don't write that down! I-I'm just frustrated. I can't help what the papers post about me."

"No," she agreed, not a hint of sympathy in her eyes, clearly all business, "you can't control the tabloids. But you can control yourself. You need to prove to child protective services that you're fit to be a parent. No more partying. No sleeping around."

She stacked her papers mechanically, "You need to be perfect. One false step and you'll be lucky to even be allowed to try this again. You only get one shot here."

Chris swallowed hard and nodded his head, messy hair falling in his eyes, "When will I know how the interviews go?"

The woman shrugged one shoulder in a dainty manner, "I will call you as soon as I've been told whether to proceed or not. It could be days, weeks, or even months. Just be patient and like I said, stay on your best behavior. One red flag could end this for you."

The boy nodded, a nervous pit building in his stomach the more this woman talked. She said each thing so bluntly, as if it was simply business and not the rest of his life they were talking about. He stood a while later and let himself out, tugging nervously at a stray string on his jeans. He glanced over at a familiar building and contemplated for a moment before finally making his way over, not seeing a single important reason not to.

**~ C & B ~**

Brooke let the pencil hang from her mouth absentmindedly as she looked over the sketches spread out over her desk. Slowly her eyes slid over every single picture and every single detail. It had to be perfect considering the Wicked Bitch of North Carolina was hovering over Brooke like some creep, waiting impatiently for a decision to be made.

"I'll pick…" Brooke began slowly, her sentence trailing over when she looked up to hear her office door opening and in coming a somewhat casual Chris Keller.

"Oh for heaven's sake," Victoria muttered as she stepped in front of the desk and took the coffee cup out of Chris's hand. "Christian, as much as we love your presence, it's not needed today. Shoo, shoo."

"Christopher," he corrected in the same casual tone he always used with the woman. He snatched the cup back and set it in front of Brooke, eyes trailing over Victoria in that way he knew usually had her leaving the room in a string of curses after only a few moments.

"Looking lovely as always, _Vicki_. You can hardly notice your age in that dress suit."

Brooke watched on in amusement from behind her desk and sent Chris a wink as she sipped her coffee.

_Impressive, he remembers my favorite flavor more than I do._

"You can hardly notice that arrogant ego," Victoria said back, giving him a look of disdain. She laughed lightly and reached over to grab her purse off of one of the chairs sitting in front of Brooke's desk. "Have a decision to me by the end of the day or I choose."

Brooke watched as Victoria left and she laughed lightly at her desk, brushing off Victoria's negative energy as quickly as she possible could. "Free extra foam coffee. And to what do I owe this wonderful gesture?"

"I met with the adoption agency again today."

_And it went horribly._

"It went okay, I guess," he said softly, shaking his head as he plopped down in front of her desk. "Apparently my professional reputation could stop this adoption before it ever even really gets going."

He slumped down and stared up at the ceiling. "They're going to be calling all my friends and family soon to get a feel of what type of guy I am. So as long as they don't talk to Peyton or any of the millions of people I've pissed off in this town, I may have a shot at getting my kid."

"You could always pull a Michael Jackson," Brooke teased lightly, a frown forming over her calm features when she noticed his facial expression didn't budge even for a joke. She sat down in her seat and leaned forward on the desk, "Come on. Don't worry about it. The worst that can possibly happen is Clay being interviewed and he turns the interview into a question and answer about himself."

She leaned forward on the desk even further and placed a comforting hand on top of his, giving him a reassuring smile when their eyes met, "Even your biggest enemies know you're a great guy. And you'd be a great father. Trust me, you'll be okay."

He nodded and let out a calming breath, "I know, I know, I'm just getting nervous. The more into this I get, the more barriers that pop up to stop me. I'm just really nervous. I met the little boy I'd be adopting a couple days ago and he's just so awesome. We played with ninja turtles and he told me stories. I just want it to work so bad."

He stole the coffee he'd just brought her, taking a sip before handing it back, "His name is Michael, by the way. He's four and both his parents just passed away. It's the saddest thing in the world, but that kid is just filled with smiles."

_If only we could all be more like that._

Hazel eyes softened at the description and the brunette swallowed hard. How could anyone that young go through life without parents because they were snatched away?

When she was about to speak, she stopped herself and examined the pair of blue eyes before her that seemed to sparkle a little extra at the talk of Michael. Chris Keller was definitely ready to become a father. It was now or never.

"He's gonna be the luckiest kid ever. Michael Keller. Eh, doesn't sound _nearly_ as heart throbbing as Chris Keller."

"Oh _finally_ admitting you're into me?" he teased, fingers tapping her palm against the table, "All it took was the thought of Chris Keller as a single father and you can't get enough. Feel free to come see me in action anytime you want."

He laughed, eyes sparkling more as he stole her coffee again.

"Have you ever thought about kids?"

Brooke was about to make a smartass remark about how she wouldn't throw away her figure over a whining baby but she stopped herself. In all honesty, the brunette was great with kids. At least she was great with her cousins' kids. And for someone that couldn't cook the greatest that was good enough for her.

"They're amazing." Her smile widened when his did and she sat up straighter.

"They just have this way of making someone's day better. They don't have to understand you're having a shitty day. They'll just be all, 'Look, I wanna color. Let's color together' and then you just go and color."

His smile widened and his eyes lit up, "Would you color with my kid? I'm not a very good colorer and I'd hate for Michael not to have anyone to teach him how to stay in the lines."

Brooke couldn't help but snort and she nodded her head, "Well duh. Clearly your kid is gonna need to be all artsy so he might as well learn from the best."

The brunette grabbed a file and stood up, shoving it into the filing cabinet before turning to him. "Soooo, me and Luke haven't really talked. For a while. Have you been keeping in touch?"

"We were," he started, making a face, "until he started spending all his times with Voldemort. Also known as my ex wife, in case you were confused."

He shook his head in annoyance, glancing at her face as he spoke, "He said you knew about them hanging out and stuff, but I still think it's completely shitty of him. How are you holding up with all that?"

He fixed his stare on her seriously, "Be honest."

Brooke's eyes stayed glued to his and she opened her mouth to speak.

_Honest doesn't necessarily mean tell everything you're feeling, Brookie. Just be simple._

"I just… don't know." His eyes looked disbelieving and she frowned.

_Oh to heck with simplicity. _

Her voice came out quiet and soft, yet very sure of itself. "Something inside of me is telling me not to trust him with Peyton. At first, I avoided seeing him because I knew the second I did, he'd just go on and on about how perfect and beautiful and talented Peyton was. Then, it just became a habit to exclude him from my everyday life."

"The entire last year of my marriage I had that same feeling. I knew in my heart that I couldn't trust her, but I stayed anyway. Well, we all know how that ended."

His eyes roamed her face slowly, "I'm not saying that Lucas is going to do something, but I think if you feel the need to cut him out because he _might,_ then maybe you should rethink things."

He gave her a soft smile, both remembering when she'd been the one to give him this exact advice months ago about Peyton. "If you can't trust him, then why are you still with him, Dimples? You deserve better than holding onto something that doesn't even feel real to you anymore."

"It can get better," Brooke said, trying to convince Chris _and_ herself at the same time with those words.

She shook her head then and gave Chris a curious look, "What do I deserve then? A prince? A knight in shining armor? Those guys don't exist."

"Says who?"

He raised his brow and leaned forward, voice soft but still firm, "It's not about finding a prince. It's about finding someone who does more than just say that they love you. They have to show it too. They have to be willing to put up with all your crazy and all your insecurities. They have to be able to deal with your dragon of a mother. You just deserve a chance to be happy, that's all I'm saying."

Brooke laughed lightly at the description of her mother before nodding her head, "Well, when you find someone who's willing to do that, drop him off here."

"I don't think it'd be hard at all to find someone like that," he countered quietly, "You're you."

Brooke looked Chris over for a second, something in his words sounding different then what they usually sounded. She brushed it off and took a seat next to him on the same side of the desk. "Would you put up with it all?"

"Haven't you noticed I already do?" He licked his bottom lip and shrugged one shoulder slowly, trying to get control of his voice before he gave too much away.

_She's still Lucas's girl._

_And Lucas is still your best friend. Shut up!_

"Yeah, but that's because you're my best friend," Brooke spoke softly, smiling slightly. "Does Chris Keller think he can handle me on an even higher level?"

He raised his brow, casual smirk sliding over his lips, "Chris Keller can handle anything. Don't underestimate him."

Brooke laughed loudly and shook her head, glancing up at the clock before standing up from the seat across her desk. "Right, of course. How could I forget?" She sent him a wink and grabbed her purse, "I have a meeting, Keller. I'll see you around."

She leaned down and brushed her lips over his forehead, her voice comforting and soft, "And remember, don't let the adoption process and your reputation get you nervous. You're great."

**~ C & B ~**

"That was great," Peyton said, her finger pushed down on the speaker, looking past the clear glass that separated her currently signed band and herself. "We'll pick it up tomorrow."

And with one last confidence filled smile, the curly blonde was out of the room and back into her office.

This was just another ordinary day for Peyton Sawyer, formerly Keller. Get to work, be kickass at work, and then bring work home with her so that way she can be kickass when she went in the next day. Work seemed to always come first in the long run of whatever Peyton was dealing with in life. It was her own escape, and lately that escape was also being shared with someone else.

_Someone that was bad news._

"Peyton!"

_Speak of the devil._

"Luke!" Her smile widened instantly and a sense of warmth washed over her at the charm of his smile. "Surprise seeing you here."

"Not really," Lucas said with a light laugh, giving his watch a quick check before he walked over to her. "We scheduled lunch, remember?"

Peyton's smile only widened and she nodded her head. Who cares if she remembered or not? He was offering free food and he was Lucas Scott. Two of Peyton's biggest weaknesses. And so the two went, going to their usual restaurant and sitting at their usual table with their usual food.

"So how are you and Brooke?" Peyton asked after a few minutes into their meal. With that question, she could see his baby blues go a little darker than usual. Something was up. "Not so good?"

"She's still ignoring my calls. She usually picks up at the first ring whenever I call," Lucas said, not trying to sound too disappointed. He brushed Brooke off as if she was nothing and focused on the girl before him. Whether he liked it or not, Peyton always ended up growing on him. They were always best friends no matter what. Whenever Brooke was brought up, he always dodged it. The guilt that seeped in was too overwhelming.

_He knew what he was doing. _

He was falling for his best friend's ex-wife and holding onto Brooke, hoping that one day that spark that they had way back in high school would rise again and his small crush on Peyton would dissipate.

But the more he hung out with Peyton, and the less he hung out with Brooke, the less likely that seemed to happen.

"You okay?"Peyton asked with a light laugh, sliding a fry into her mouth. "Hello, earth to Lucas Scott."

Baby blues blinked back into orbit and Lucas nodded his head, giving Peyton's leg a light kick from underneath the table. "I'm great."

"Good," Peyton said softly, trying not to show her blush as she slid another fry into her mouth. "I'm sure she'll call sooner or later. She's just probably busy with work or something. Kinda like us." She sent him a wink and sat back in her seat. Peyton Sawyer was falling for her ex best friend's current boyfriend aka her ex-husband's best friend.

_What is going on here?_


	5. The Exchange

**Chapter 5: The Exchange**

**AN: Thanks so much for sticking around guys! You are seriously so amazing! The turnout we've gotten for this story is seriously unreal. Thank you all so much. Enjoy and as always, please review! **

**~ C & B ~**

Brooke couldn't help but smile as she flipped through the scrapbook she and Bevin made during senior year. It was pink and had a bunch of random stickers to cover the whole front cover. In cut out magazine letters spelled 'senior year' and there was a picture of Brooke with a beer can, laughing at something Peyton had said.

She hadn't touched this scrapbook in ages. It was a whole other life ago. Life seemed so hard back then; the tests, the stress over popularity. But now was when it was hard. Sure, money was the least of the brunette's worries but there was so much more under the clothes of Brooke Davis.

There was a faint knock on the door.

_Speaking of the items under the clothes…_

Somehow she just knew who it was. The gut feeling that overwhelmed her caused her to drop the scrapbook from her hands. She quickly bent down and slid it under the couch before walking over to the front door of her apartment.

"Brooke," Lucas said, shocked that he could catch her. He tried visiting her yesterday but she wasn't home. He awkwardly shoved his hands into his jean pockets before stepping inside. "Wow. I actually was able to get in touch with you."

The brunette sensed the bitterness and attitude in his voice, but didn't dwell on it. She didn't want to start something that could be avoided. Instead of giving him a peck on the lips like any other couple, they just shared a look before Brooke led him into the kitchen. "Hungry?"

Lucas shook his head, taking a seat on one of the small kitchen stools before turning to look at Brooke who was mindlessly fixing herself a bowl of fruity pebbles. He made a face of disgust, clearly not a fan. "Where've you been?"

Brooke looked at him over her shoulder before pouring milk into her bowl, "Working, helping Chris out with his stuff, avoiding Bitchtoria."

_And there it was._

"You and Chris have been talking?" Lucas asked slowly, sitting up straighter in his seat. On instinct, his hands balled into angry yet not jealous fists. "But you can't even call me back?"

"You and Peyton have been talking," Brooke countered, her brows rising as she turned and looked at him, the cereal completely forgotten. "And whenever I even attempted to visit you, you'd dismiss me because you were so busy with your precious Peyton!"

The volume of the brunette's voice shocked Lucas but it also fueled him on and he stood up from the stool. "Peyt and I have been friends since we were kids. When the hell did you even start talking to Chris outside of our group?"

"Chris_, your_ best friend, is there for me when you're too busy turning your back!" Brooke exclaimed back, crossing her arms over her chest. "Who are you anymore?"

"Who am I?" Lucas asked with a scoff. "Who are you? You _always_ answered my text messages the second I sent them and you always visited me. You haven't stepped foot into the house in forever."

"Oh, excuse me for not waiting on your hand and foot anymore," Brooke said back, shaking her head in disbelief. She held up her hand to silence them both and let out a calm breath. This time, her voice was soft and filled with a hurt that neither could quite put their finger on. "When's the last we just had a night together where it was just us? Nothing about work, nothing about anything else in the world? Just me and you and Chinese and the TV and the couch?"

Lucas frowned deeply and ran a hand through his sandy blonde hair. Sad blue eyes met sad hazel. "Brooke.."

"We're not who we were in high school," Brooke whispered, her voice cracking only slightly. "What are we holding onto any-"

As if this was a routinely thing, Lucas's phone went off and the obnoxious noise of some rock band's ringtone filled the kitchen and echoed against the walls. Neither had to say anything. They both knew it was Peyton.

Slowly, Lucas lifted the phone to his ear, "Hello?"

Brooke watched as his face went from hurt with the confrontation he just had with her to concerned and then protective. "Okay, Peyt. It's okay. I'll be right there."

Neither of them said anything once Lucas hung up the phone. He just sent her an apologetic look and was out the door in a second.

_Lucas Scott was someone else's hero now._

**~ C & B ~**

Baby blues widened in awe as the musician's hand curled around the baseball, giving it a light throw back to the tiny dark haired boy. Michael giggled as he caught it, tossing it back with more force than Chris expected. He laughed as he caught it, flexing his fingers to kill their soreness.

"Try thwowing it oberhanded!" the little boy gave Chris an exasperated look, clearly thinking that his (hopefully) future father was going easy on him.

"I don't know how!" Chris admitted, laughing at the roll of the boy's eyes. "Come over here and teach me, little man. I was never very good at sports!"

Michael skipped his way across the park, standing behind Chris with his tiny hand sitting on top, "You gots to thwow like this! See?"

Chris's smile was wide and proud as he listened to the boy, falling more and more in love with this kid every day. He tossed the ball like he was instructed, raising his brow at Michael's amused giggle, "No? Still bad?"

"You's bad at this, Daddy."

The kid ran for the ball, not seeing how still and wide eyed the musician now was. Slowly a smile slid over Chris's the face, the man on his feet and heading toward the boy in seconds. He pulled Michael up into his arms, hugging the boy tightly to his chest.

Tiny arms curled around his neck just as tightly and he closed his eyes. This was everything he'd ever wanted. The music and the fame was great; it was a big part of who he was, but THIS was his future. This was everything.

He took a deep breath and rested his cheek against the boy's head, "I love you, Michael, you know that?"

"I lub you too," the boy nodded, arms tightening. "You's not gonna leave me like my other mommy and daddy ares you?"

Baby blues widened with sadness and Chris shook his head immediately, "No way, Mikey. I'll never leave, okay? I promise. And Chris Keller _always_ keeps his promises."

"Cans we pway ball again?"

Chris laughed loudly at the boy's attention span and lowered him to the ground with a nod, "Go easy on me, boy. I'm not very good at this."

**~ C & B ~**

"If this is your way of making me jealous, it's a little too late for that, hubby."

Chris's eyes shot up, sliding over the blonde with only a hint of sadness as he remembered what they'd once had and what he'd believed that they would have forever. He shook his head and leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest, "And what did I do to try and make you jealous this time, Sawyer? Please enlighten me."

"You know exactly what you did," the curly blonde crossed her arms over her chest right back, raising one perfectly sculpted brow. "Lucas told me how much time you've been spending with Brooke."

Blue eyes rolled back slowly, "Oh so because I spend time with a sexy woman, I _must_ be doing it to get back at you. Come on, Blondie, you can do so much better than that. You were never jealous a single day in our marriage, so what is really bothering you, huh? You never could lie to me."

Green eyes shifted to the side and she took a seat on his couch as if it wasn't weird at all for her to be here after all this time. She met his gaze after a moment, a frown sliding over her lips, "A woman from an adoption agency came to me this morning with questions."

She blinked slowly when he didn't say anything, eyes deep pools of confusion, "You're adopting?"

Chris said nothing, only nodding his head.

Peyton shook her head, eyes darkening a little, "Since when do you want to have kids? You never wanted children when we were together."

He met her eyes and frowned deeply, "Peyton, I always wanted children. You were the one who didn't. You told me so many things that kids weren't your thing, so I pushed it aside. But this adoption isn't anything new. I always wanted this."

He tilted his head, voice soft but not accusing, "You just never noticed."

Curls fell into the girl's eyes and she wiped at her eyes, ashamed of how far they'd fallen. She didn't cry for their broken love, but for the friend in him she'd lost as well. He slid over and lightly patted her shoulder, surprised at how easy it was to touch her now and feel nothing but sympathy over what they'd once thought they had.

He let out a soft breath as she looked up at him with teary eyes, saying something he'd wanted to say for a long time now, "You need to leave Lucas alone."

Peyton looked at him sharply, eyes narrowing, "Who's being jealous now?"

He rolled his eyes, hand falling from her shoulder, "God, Peyton, I don't care who you do now. This isn't about you. And hell, it's not even about Lucas. It's about-"

"Brooke," she filled in.

"Yeah," he nodded seriously, "It is. She deserves so much better than you meddling in her love life. She deserves someone to love her back, and she can't have that with Lucas unless you back off."

"Since when are you so protective of her?"

He shrugged and stood, "Since you broke her heart the first time. Kindly show yourself out."

He headed for his bedroom, muttering a quiet 'bitch' under his breath.

**~ C & B ~**

Peyton's next stop was Brooke's place. The only reason she even knew where her former best friend's new apartment was, was because Lucas told her without even hesitating. He'd do anything to please his blonde best friend.

With three knocks, the door opened and two pairs of hazel eyes met directly for the first time in forever. As if this all just happened yesterday, Peyton could see the hurt in Brooke's eyes. She swallowed hard and worked up the courage to speak.

_Come on, Peyt. If you got this far, you can do the rest._

"Hi."

The pen that was hanging from Brooke's mouth was slowly pulled out and the brunette set her sketchpad down on the table near the door. "What do you want Peyton?"

"Can we talk?" Peyton asked quickly, raising a hand up on the door when Brooke was about to slam it shut. Her eyes were sincere, a pleading in them that showed that she really needed to talk to the brunette; that this wasn't just fun and games. "Please."

Letting out a defeated sigh, Brooke stepped back and let Peyton inside before quietly shutting the door behind her. She didn't say anything, waiting for Peyton to speak up first.

The blonde toyed with her fingers nervously before sitting down on the couch and properly crossing her legs. She looked up at Brooke and spoke, her voice light, "I want to say I'm sorry for how things are going with you and Lucas right no-"

"What's going on with Lucas and I is none of your business," Brooke said, both of them knowing it was a lie. What was going on with her and Lucas had just as much as to do with them as it did with Peyton. She sighed when Peyton looked at her knowingly, taking a seat across from her on the opposite couch. "When you think of Lucas what do you feel?"

As if sparking a match of love, the blonde's hazel eyes sparkled and she sat up straighter. Biting her lip, her voice came out dreamy, "Tingles. Butterflies. Warmth. Protection…Lo-"

_Don't say you love him to his current girlfriend!_

"Um, love his hair." She shook her head at the lame cover-up and ran her hands over her knees. "He's my best friend. And he deserves to be happy, Brooke. I'm making him happy. I'm sorry if that's making you sad. Really, I am."

The brunette just nodded her head. Sure, Lucas forgot about her and moved on, but it was because he was finally doing something about his unhappiness. "He likes you, Peyton. A lot. The way he looks at you… he hasn't looked at me that way in years. It'll always be you."

The blonde tucked a curl behind her ear and nodded her head, not wanting to flaunt her excitement over those words in front of the brunette. She sat up straight again and gave Brooke a look, "He cares about you, you know."

"I care about Luke too."

"I mean Chris cares," Peyton said hesitantly, biting her bottom lip. "What do you feel when you're with Chris?"

The brunette was taken aback by the question but thought about it. Like really thought about it. No one ever asked her so she never did think about it but now that she is, she was shocked with what she came up with. "I feel like I can be whatever I want and still be accepted. Loved. Appreciated. Understood. Protected."

Both girls sat across from each other, something seriously magical starting to occur. The universe was so unpredictable. Each girl spent her life with a man that was meant for the other. And until now, they realized it. But it was finally realized.

Peyton stood up from the couch and brought her purse over her shoulders, walking over to the front door of Brooke's apartment. She gave Brooke a thank you look for letting her speak before opening the door. She turned to Brooke, speaking in reference to Lucas, "He's a great guy."

"He's a great guy," Brooke repeated with a nod, speaking in reference to Chris.


	6. A Step Closer To You

**Chapter 6: A Step Closer To You**

**AN: Thank you so much for the support as always! You guys are great! Please review!**

**~ C & B ~**

It was a new day. It was the day. Brooke had spent the night before lying in bed and thinking over how everything was going to be planned out today. She was going to visit the Lucas Scott residence for the last time as Brooke Davis: Forgotten Girlfriend of Lucas Scott.

But of course the second her hand knocked on the door, her epic speech totally dissipated from her mind and she was left having to wing it. She didn't even have to say anything, the blonde stepping aside and letting the brunette in. "See everything's the same."

Lucas nodded his head, both of them knowing she was just trying to ease the awkwardness. It wasn't going to work. "Yeah."

"We never finished our talk yesterday," Brooke whispered after a long moment of silence between the two. Hazels met blues and both of them could tell what was coming. It was now or never. Like Brooke said, they were both different people and they were just holding each other back. "That kinda seems daily with us; having unfinished talks."

"Daily as in whenever we do talk," Lucas added in softly, leaning back against the wall as he looked over the brunette. He squinted slightly and took in her features. When did she get that haircut? And when did she start tucking her phone away instead of holding it and constantly looking at messages from co-workers.

_You really are a stranger._

"I guess I always knew… about your love for Peyton. Even during her relationship with Chris. I just always thought that it would go away with time; that I'd be good enough to make you forget those feelings because the feelings you had for me would be way bigger," Brooke said, swallowing hard as she searched Lucas's face slowly.

"Brooke, don't blame yourself for this," Lucas whispered, closing his eyes and shaking his head.

"I'm not," she said, taking a step forward, "I mean, I'm not _anymore_."

His eyes opened up again and met hers, the brunette's heels clanking against the wooden floor slowly as she made her way over to him. She took his hand in hers softly and looked down at them, "This is the end of our story, Luke. We're not meant to have a happy ending. Go finish your story with Peyton. Go have a happy ending. It's okay."

"I'm sorry," Lucas said, shrugging helplessly, "I never realized how bad of a boyfriend I was to you. I just figured that the feelings with us would come back one day. But with Peyton's divorce, I have a chance again."

Brooke nodded her head. There was nothing she could do about Lucas's feelings. And if she was being frank, there was nothing she could do about her own. So slowly she reached up and kissed his forehead before stepping back and making her way towards the door. "It's okay to fall in love with your best friend's ex."

"It's okay to fall in love with _your_ best friend's ex," Lucas said back softly, both of them sharing a look that he knew and he was okay with it just as much as Peyton was.

**~ C & B ~**

Peyton walked past Brooke who was on her way leaving Lucas's house, the blonde slowly sliding her phone into the back pocket of her skinny jeans.

"He's all yours, P.," Brooke said, both of them making eye contact at the use of her old nickname for when they were best friends. "Take care of him, okay?"

"As long as you take care of.." Peyton trailed off, both girls nodding their heads as they went their separate ways.

"Knock, knock," Peyton said softly, opening the door and stepping inside the house as she smiled at Lucas. "How you holdin' up?"

"Wow, news travels pretty fast around here, huh," Lucas teased as he led Peyton over to his living room, the two of them plopping down on the couch together.

"Well, duh, it's Tree Hill," Peyton teased back, grabbing a pillow and setting it in her lap. "I'm sorry it ended."

Lucas nodded his head. There was a silence but when he spoke, their eyes met and he meant every word of it. "I'm sorry it ended because I hurt her, but I'm not sorry it ended because of the basic fact that we're both meant for other people."

Peyton tried to hide back her smile and she bit her lip, "What do you mean?"

_You know what I mean, chicken legs._

Both blondes smiled, Peyton able to read his eyes perfectly as she leaned in. "Nice shot."

Lucas laughed his famous Lucas Scott laugh and leaned in along with her. "Nice legs." His eyes trailed her legs before meeting her eyes and then went down to her lips. "I don't know how horrible it would be to kiss a girl two minutes into a break-up. And your best friend ex territory."

Peyton chewed on her lip, her breath hitting his face lightly as she searched his eyes, "Falling for your best friend's ex is pretty common these days. It's fair game."

"I was thinking that, too," Lucas said back, his hand slowly rising to tuck a curl behind her ear. The touch caused electricity to spur between the two, their eyes remaining locked. Slowly, his hand slid from her ear to her cheek, cupping it lightly as he closed the gap between the two.

The kiss was soft but full of every type of love that was tucked away years ago. But now, here they were, finally starting up the flame. It all felt right. _They_ were right. With trial and error, Lucas and Peyton found their way back to each other in the end.

**~ C & B ~**

The lanky musician slid down into the chair slowly. Today was the big day. Today he'd find out if he made it one step closer to being Michael's adopted father or if it was game over. He tapped his fingers nervously against the edge of the desk, his file sitting right there in the center just begging him to look inside. He shoved his hands beneath his legs to fight the urge, bouncing one foot against the ground as the door behind him finally opened.

The agent, a different woman than he was used to, took her seat and flipped through his file immediately. The name tag on her desk read Carrie Russell, and Chris spoke up, smiling nervously as he pointed, "Are you as good an actress?"

Miss Russell let out an annoyed breath and glanced up at him, "I've gotten that same joke 100 times, Mr. Keller. We _really_ don't need to make small talk."

Chris sank into his seat silently, an uncomfortable pit forming in his stomach as he waited. He closed his eyes as the woman scanned the pages, praying silently as the wait continued.

_Dear lord, it's um, it's Chris Keller. I know I haven't been the best at praying and being a good dude and all that, but if you could let this work out for me, I'd really appreciate it. I love Michael. Please don't take him away from me. I'll be a better guy if you just do this for me, God. I promise._

"Well, Mr. Keller, it looks like the interviews went well for the most part."

Baby blues shot open and the woman slowly lowered the file, "There was a bit of confusion when a Clay Evans began talking about himself and his prowess with women. And your boss could not be reached. But other than that, it all went very well."

He breathed a sigh of relief, glancing up and whispering a quiet 'thank you'. He sat up a little straighter, confidence brimming in him, "So everyone had good things to say?"

The agent nodded her head slowly, looking back through the interviews slowly, "All the people we interviewed had great things to say. Brooke Davis in particular."

His interest was piqued. The boy leaned forward, smile growing, "What did she say about me?"

She almost looked amused. _Almost._ The file rose and her crisp voice filled the room, the boy hearing the words from the voice that said them originally, "She said, and I quote, 'Chris Keller isn't like anyone else you'd ever meet. He's sweet and funny. But he's genuine. He may not always say the right thing or do what people want him to do, but he's kind. He does things because he loves and trusts people. The tabloids call him names and talk about his past like he can't be redeemed. He _has _redeemed himself! By loving people the way that he does, he redeems himself every day.'"

His breath fell shaky from his lips and he looked down at the ground, "She really said all that?"

"There's more," Carrie tilted her head at him, "She goes on for the next two pages about what an amazing father you'll be. How kind hearted you are. About the time you saved a kitten from a tree for her nephew."

Chris laughed quietly and shook his head, heart pumping fast in his chest. He licked his lips, surprised to find them so dry, "So um, what does this mean as far as the adoption goes?"

The woman stared at him long and hard for a moment, "It means that I am recommending that the adoption goes through. Your next hearing, you will meet with a judge and he'll make the final decision. Good luck, Mr. Keller."

"Thank you," he said honestly, shaking the woman's hand before making his way out. He stood out on the sidewalk for a moment, completely still. And then his arms were in the air and he let out a happy sound, hugging a random stranger, "I'm gonna be a dad!"

He pulled out his phone and dialed a familiar number immediately, "Call me as soon as you're out of work. I need to see you."

**~ C & B ~**

"Argh, gonna getcha!" Chris swooped down and pulled Michael off the ground, tickling the boy mercilessly. The tiny boy kicked and giggled, his voice echoing throughout the mostly empty park.

Chris had been coming to get Michael for play dates the last couple months; their schedule was three times a week, and they never missed a day. But here they were on their fifth day in a row, the musician taking his meeting with the adoption agency to heart and spending every available second with his boy. He kept shooting glances to the park gates, waiting for Brooke to arrive.

He lowered the boy to the ground and smiled at the boy's suddenly shy look, "Is she pwetty?"

"Who, Brooke?"

Michael nodded, eyes shining and innocent. Chris smiled wide and nodded right back, "She's insanely pretty. She's like a princess. Oh, there she is now," he pointed behind the boy, both pairs of eyes lighting up as they gazed at the girl.

Brooke looked around but it didn't take long for her to spot the tall musician and the little boy, her eyes widening in absolute awe. "Oh my gosh, you're the cutest boy I have ever seen!" She scurried over as fast as her heels would let her and shot Chris a greeting smile before averting her attention to Michael.

She knelt down and her smile only widened, noting the shyness of the little boy, "Hi, I'm Brooke! You must be Michael. You look like a Michael."

"You looks like a pwincess," the boy said back shyly, his fingers digging into the material of Chris's jeans as he smiled up at her. The little boy hesitantly held out his hand to her, "Wanna pway with us?"

Brooke's eyes softened and she nodded her head, gladly joining hands with Michael and standing up straight. "What kinda games are you two playing?"

"Daddy Chris is a monster and I's a hero." His eyes lit up and he tugged on both of the adults as he got an idea, "I can saves you!"

Michael looked up at Chris seriously, "You gots to kidnaps her, but only for pretend!"

Chris held back his laugh at the serious tone and nodded his head, "Okay, okay, you go do superhero things while I'll steal the damsel in distress."

"Break one of my nails and I'll break your face," Brooke mumbled, smiling sweetly at Chris as she wailed her arms in the air, giving Chris a look, "Oh nooo, the big, UGLY monster thingie is gonna get me because he's lonely and has no friends! Ohhh the horror!"

The musician smirked at her before suddenly hoisting her over his shoulder, her squeals real now. He laughed and spun around her hands clutching to his shirt, "You better hope I don't drop you before he comes to the rescue, Dimples."

"Michael!" Brooke exclaimed, wailing lightly in Chris's hold as she huffed stubbornly. "Kick Daddy Chris where it hurts!"

Michael came running out from behind a tree, aiming mini punches at Chris's legs. Chris made exaggerated sounds of pain and acted like he was going to drop Brooke, not actually letting go until her feet were on the ground. He let the boy knock him down, laying flat on the ground dramatically.

The boy wiped at his forehead like he'd just done something insanely hard and looked at Brooke. He took her hand in his tiny one and kissed her knuckles, "My wady, you haves beed saved!"

Brooke's heart melted and she couldn't help but giggle and nod her head, keeping her hand in his small grasp, "Why thank you! I think my hero deserves a kiss." The brunette leaned in and pressed a light kiss to the little boy's now blushing cheek.

"Hey, I want a kiss," Chris pouted, sitting up, "Where's mine?"

"Monsters don't gets kisses, Daddy," Michael giggled. He ran over and plopped down on the musician's stomach, eyes wide and excited, "Can we gets ice cweam? Can we? Pwease!"

Chris narrowed his eyes at the little boy's pleading look, "Okay okay, only one scoop!"

"One?" Brooke scoffed and raised her brow a little, crossing her arms over her chest. "I think my prince charming deserves two. Isn't that right, Mikey?"

Michael nodded rapidly, bouncing a little. He giggled as Chris stood, swooping him up and kissing his forehead, "Fine, two. But only because your pout and her attitude are hard to say no to."

The boy glanced at Brooke and grinned, "I like you!"

The three of them sat down at a bench a while later, Michael in Brooke's lap as he licked away on his ice cream of exactly two scoops, offering Brooke a lick as she giggled. "No thank you, I have some strawberry ice cream for myself. It's pink. My favorite color. What's your favorite color?"

"Blue and purple," he frowned a little, "Sam, the boy who lives withs me, he says purple is only fors girls. Is that the truf?"

Chris shook his head immediately, "No way, little man. I love purple. I have like… 4 purple shirts. You can like whatever you want. No one else is allowed to tell you what to like. Except for my music," he teased, the boy giggling because he already knew what was about to be said, "you have to like my music or you're grounded."

"Oh golly, now Brookie's grounded for the rest of her life," Brooke teased, shooting Chris a wink before licking her ice cream. She caught him in the corner of her eye staring and she turned to him, "What? Don't tell me I have a strawberry stain on my cheek like the movies."

"No you don't, it's just," he paused biting the inside of his bottom lip and speaking softly, the distracted boy not hearing, "you're so good with him. You're really, really good at this."

Brooke smiled back just as softly and nodded her head, hazel eyes searching through caring blues. "You're really good with him, too. He's gonna have the best daddy ever and you're gonna make him the happiest little boy ever; more than what you already have made him."

He smiled wide and took a big bite of his ice cream, "I had a meeting with the agency today. She told me some of what you said. You alone pushed her to recommend me, she said. Thank you."

"That is confidential!" Brooke exclaimed, her eyes widening as she continued to lick her ice cream with a fake annoyance. "Psh." She sent him a wink and turned away, letting out a breath as the wind picked up and calmed the brunette from any nerves that were sent to her that day. "So you talked to Peyton?"

Chris nodded and shrugged one shoulder, "Yeah she stopped by yesterday to ask about the adoption. And look, I wasn't going to say anything, but you deserve to know, she's into Lucas. I don't think he's doing anything with it, but just be careful, okay? I'd hate for you to get hurt because of them again."

Brooke couldn't help but laugh lightly. Chris was definitely out of the loop. Who could blame him? Why get caught up in a love rectangle (or square, whatever) when in the middle of adopting probably the most perfect child ever.

"I broke up with Lucas… Today. And talked to Peyton yesterday." She held up a hand at his confused look, "She came to see me. We actually talked in a civil-like manner. She didn't say it but I could tell she was falling for Luke all over again. This was after the fight me and Luke had about being different people. So, I gave them what they wanted and that was each other."

His eyes went wide, "Whoa, whoa, what? You broke up? Where the h-e-l-l have I been?"

"That's spells Hell!"

"Don't say Hell," Michael shrugged and went back to his ice cream, Chris looking at Brooke in surprise still, "Are you okay? Do I need to kick his a-s-s? I'm weak, but I totally would try!"

Brooke smiled and shook her head, giving off a soft shrug, "They love each other. Who am I to get in the way of true love taking its course?" She leaned over and put a hand on his shoulder, her finger lightly drawing circles on his shirt, "Are you okay? Not only is it my ex best friend with my ex but it's your ex slash semi-current best friend with your ex."

Chris nodded and laid his hand on her knee, giving her a genuine smile, "I'm fine. I've been over her for a really long time. I was just worried about you."

His eyes softened, "You've been through a lot with them, I just want you to be happy."

"Chris Keller isn't getting soft on me, is he?" Brooke teased, looking down at Michael who was falling asleep against her. She smiled and ruffled his hair, tossing whatever was left of her ice cream in the trash a few feet away. "Well, looks like we're both single and with a child. We sound like a Lifetime movie."

"He loves you already," Chris smiled, reaching over and collecting Michael to his chest. He slid over and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, nudging her, "He definitely likes you more than me now."

"Hmmm, doesn't take much liking then," Brooke said, rolling her eyes and looking at the little boy in awe. "He's gonna be a heartbreaker."

"He already is," he shook his head in amusement. "He managed to get a kiss out of you in 20 minutes, I've been trying that since high school."

"What can I say, I have something for princes," Brooke teased, her eyes meeting his once again. She studied him over before scoffing suddenly and shaking her head, "I think it's funny how I'm probably the only girl that has never given you the satisfaction of a kiss in this town. There should definitely be an award for that."

He scooted closer, giving her an innocent smile, "You could just give me one now. Come on. Peeeeeeeeer pressure."

"As if," Brooke scoffed and put a hand on her mouth. "No one gets these lips that easily."

"Mikey did," he pouted, leaning forward and kissing the back of her hand, "Kiss me."

Brooke shook her head and kept her hand in his grasp, feeling her stomach flutter in all sorts of butterflies at the feel of his lip on any part of her skin. She didn't show it though and still played it off like it didn't faze her one bit. "I'm sure you can go walk up to any random girl on the street and get her to kiss you by just telling her your name."

"I could," he agreed, shaking his a little, "but I'm asking you. Brooke Davis isn't just anyone, you know. She's kinda one of a kind. And Chris Keller wants her to kiss him."

"Well," Brooke flipped her hair before she let out a breath and shook her head. Biting her lip, her eyes trailed over his.

_He's asking for you to kiss him, why can't you just say yes? Who cares about playing hard to get? You like him. Hell, you might even love him if you looked deep enough._

"Why do you want me to kiss you so badly? Your list of girls to kiss is _that _important?"

Chris licked his lips and slowly shook his head, eyes meeting hers. Blue locked on green and for a second all he could hear was his heart. He licked his lips again, voice soft, "It's not about a list. It's just about-"

_It's about you._

"I want to kiss you."

"Why do you want me to kiss you so badly?" Brooke repeated, her voice soft as she leaned in a little, her eyes slowly falling to his lips.

Chris leaned in so that their foreheads touched, glancing down at her lips before back up. Michael curled himself into the musician's chest and he swallowed hard, "You're Brooke. You're amazing. I've wanted to kiss you for such a long time."

_I've wanted to kiss you for such a long time, too. But mine comes with feelings and that will complicate things. And this is why I'm going to pull away now._

"I guess you're just gonna have to wait a little bit longer," the brunette rasped out quietly, her eyes averting to her hands as she leaned back into the bench.

He frowned but nodded, securing Michael more tightly in his embrace, "You wanna come with me to drop him off? It's just a couple blocks over."

_What just happened? Did I just imagine that all?_

Brooke cleared her throat and plastered a quick smile over her face, "I um, I actually have to be somewhere. Give the little man hugs and kisses from me next time you see him, okay?"

He didn't believe her for a second but he nodded, leaning over and kissing her forehead, "I guess I'll see you around."

With one last smile and glance back, they headed in opposite directions, both wondering what the other was thinking about this situation.


	7. You Can't Dance Around It Forever

**Chapter 7: You Can't Dance Around It Forever**

**AN: You guys have been amazing! Thanks so much for all the support. We adore you! Please review.**

**~ C & B ~**

The brunette munched happily on the banana nut muffin as she took a seat across from Haley in the Naley backyard. She blew Jamie a kiss and smiled when he blew one right back before getting scooped up by Nathan. Giggling, she turned to Haley, "He's the cutest little man."

"Speaking of," Haley began, her brow rising with a smirk as she shifted in her seat, "How's Chris's little man doing?"

Brooke melted in her seat then, the brunette setting her muffin down on the table in between the chairs. "He's as happy as ever. I haven't seen him cry yet and don't little people cry a lot?" She shrugged and continued on, "He gets shy around me but I'm sure he'll get used to me."

"Aw, that's the cutest thing ever!" Haley exclaimed, shooting Nathan a wink when their eyes met before she turned back to Brooke. "I can't wait to meet him. I haven't really seen Chris in a while either." She paused, thinking over her next statement.

_Just say it, Hales.  
><em>

"So how's he doing with the whole Lucas and Peyton get-together?"

Brooke shrugged and ran a hand through her hair, her chocolate brown strands falling back down just below her shoulders. "Honestly," she bit her lip, "Chris has never been better. He's got money and fame and he's living the single life without having an unhappy marriage holding him down and most importantly, he's finally experiencing the unconditional love of someone else. He really needs Michael just as much as Michael needs him."

Haley noticed the sparkle in the brunette's eyes when she was rambling about the musician. How did Chris not see it when they were together? I mean come on, Brooke hasn't been this happy with a guy since the beginning of her relationship with Lucas. "So when did you realize you wanted to be a part of the reasons he's happy?"

Brooke's mouth opened slightly from shock at the random question but she kept her cool, always having great power to pretend she wasn't freaking out in her mind though she was. "Hales, we're just friends. I _just_ broke up with Lucas."

"Sweetie, just because you just broke up with someone doesn't mean that's the time where you started getting over the fact that you were over. You've been coping with the fact that you and Lucas have been over for months now," Haley said back, giving Brooke's knee a light tap. "It's okay to have feelings for someone else right after. Did you ever think that maybe Chris is partly the reason why you did break up with Luke?"

The second Haley said those words, Brooke realized that they were true. Without Chris, she knew that she wouldn't have ever gotten the courage to break up with Lucas. She never wanted to be alone. It was scary. But with Chris, she never felt alone. She trusted him. She knew that with him, she was safe.

"He doesn't want me the way I want him," Brooke finally said, her raspy voice low and sad.

"How do you know that?"

"With the exception of Peyton, he never believed in commitment. He never had that idea fairytale ending scenario. He's Chris Keller," Brooke said, shaking her head and grabbing her muffin.

"Do you really think that's all Chris Keller is?" Haley pushed softly.

Brooke sighed.

_No._

"Maybe," the brunette began slowly, hazel eyes scanning the backyard slowly as she spoke, "..Maybe I'm just clinging onto the first guy that's actually giving me the time of day."

"All your life, you've put everybody before yourself," Haley said.

"Mama! Come look at what daddy showed me!" Jamie called out from the swing set.

The young mom stood up and dusted herself off, looking down at Brooke, "It's time for Brooke Davis to do what she wants. It's time for her to act on her feelings. She won't know until she tries."

**~ C & B ~**

The pen slid smoothly over the page as Chris signed all the papers regarding the final hearing for his adoption. He heard a heavy sigh next to him and ignored it, flipping onto the next page for his initials. Another sigh filled the kitchen and he stopped, raising one brow without looking up, "Can I help you?"

"You're not even looking at me. It's rude not to make eye contact when you're talking to someone."

Chris closed his eyes for a moment before pointedly looking up and meeting his friend's eyes. He blinked hard when Clay only stared back, saying nothing. Silence filled the kitchen, both boys challenging the other to break it. Finally the former musician let out a loud sigh, "What do you want, Clay?"

"Attention," the blonde answered simply. He looked at the tall, thin man expectantly, "Well? I'm waiting."

"Two minutes!"

The blonde whined immediately as Chris went back to signing papers. He huffed and crossed his arms over his chest, waiting until his friend's eyes were back on his to speak again, "Actually that was three minutes and 47 seconds."

"Why are you so needy today?"

Clay shrugged and kicked the leg of his chair, "Why didn't _you _tell _me _that Brooke dumped Lucas?"

_Silence._

Slowly Chris opened his mouth, floundering a bit for words. Finally he settled on "I didn't see how it was relevant," clearly displeasing Clay who immediately pointed a finger at him with dark eyes.

"Liar!"

"Drop it, Clay," he stood up and rolled his eyes, prepared to change the subject before his friend could get too deep into it.

_Too late._

"Why don't you just admit you're in love with your _bestest buddy _Lucas's ex girl?"

"Are you seriously jealous of Lucas?" Chris asked suddenly, ignoring Clay's annoyed glare, "I mean seriously, you never have a good thing to say about the guy. What's the deal?"

Clay scoffed and shook his head, "He's a shitty friend who has been going behind your back for _months_ to be with your ex wife and yet you act like the sun shines out his ass. I'm your best friend. When you and Brooke get married, I'm your damn best man, got it? And also, I'm hotter!"

Chris blinked slowly, an amused smile on his face, "That's why you get annoyed when I bring up Lucas! You're jealous!"

"Shut up! That's not the point!" The musician held back his laughter at the blonde's annoyance, his smile quickly falling at the next words, "The point is, you're in love with Brooke."

"I-I'm not _in love _with her. I just… want to be around her all the time and do things to make her smile, mope when she's not around, picture her taking care of Michael," his eyes went hazy and he quickly shook his head, "But no! I'm not in love with her!"

A blonde brow rose, "Dude…"

"Fine, fine! I love her, okay? But she doesn't feel the same. She and Lucas _just _ended. She doesn't need me to give her more drama." Chris shook his head seriously, blue eyes soft, "I can't lose my best friend because I have feelings. She's too important for that."

"Yeah but she feels it too. Come on, _everyone _can tell how you two feel except for the two of you. Go get your girl already and quit being a pussy about it."

Chris stepped back and shook his head, "I can't, okay? Not when she's still in love with Lucas. Look, she's coming over in a while and I have some stuff to get done."

Clay held up his hands in surrender and shook his head, "Hint taken. But for the record, you're an idiot."

With a half hearted salute he was out the door, trying to come up with a plan to get those two together already. There had to be _something_.

**~ C & B ~**

Chris took a seat on the end of the couch and tapped his fingers nervously against his knee. His heel began to bounce on the floor and he shifted positions, eyes shooting to the door. Another couple of minutes passed and he shifted again, running a hand through his hair in annoyance.

_Why the hell are you so nervous? Stop fidgeting! It's just Brooke._

He heard his spare key in the door and sucked in a deep breath, just holding it there.

_Oh shit, it's her. Act cool!_

The brunette chewed her gum to calm the nerves in her body, her bag full of her pajama clothes and other essentials for a sleepover slung over the fold above her elbow. She opened the door and was washed over by the comfort of his home, her smile widening.

All nerves died and eager hazel eyes met nervous blue, Brooke shutting the door behind her softly. "Hey, Keller. Are you okay? You look jumpy."

"Yeah I'm good!" he spoke a little too loudly, their eyes meeting as he twisted his fingers in his lap. He cleared his throat and adopted a casual tone, leaning back against the couch and trying to look unaffected, "I mean, yeah… I'm good."

Brooke snorted and nodded her head slowly, setting her bag on the kitchen counter. "Did you order the Chinese?"

Chris nodded and leaned back, "Yup. I got your usual."

He pointed to the plastic bag next to her, sitting up a little, "I ordered a couple movies. Your style _and _mine. They all look doable."

Brooke made a face of disgust and shook her head, looking over all the movies and pouting every time she passed by one of his. She lifted them up and frowned, "Must we watch these? I don't think I'll be able to hold down all my food if I have to go through watching another one of these horror movies where the psycho killer drags a girl into the woods and slurps up her insides."

"Those don't even have cannibals in them! I checked this time."

Brooke immediately gave him _the look_. Chris narrowed his eyes, "That's not going to work on me this time! I know better now."

Her bottom lip shook and he clenched his hands at his sides, "Fine fine! We'll watch your girly crap. You're mean."

Brooke smiled in triumph and she grabbed her bag, "I'm gonna change because… Well, I hate casual clothes." She sent him a wink and left for the bathroom. It didn't take her much time to slip on her boy shorts and tank top, the brunette letting her hair fall loose of its ponytail.

Once she exited the bathroom, Chris already had the monopoly board set up and the pretzel piece was on her side. He definitely knew her way too well. Instead of sitting across from him like she usually did, Haley's words filtered through her mind.

_Don't ignore it. Try it. Explore it. Be calm. Relaxed. Casual._

Brooke plopped down right next to Chris who was leaning back against the couch on the floor. She leaned against him and looked over the board, "I see you took the liberty in rolling first. Cheater!"

He laughed and bumped his arm against hers lightly, "It's not cheating. You took too long. You brought this on yourself."

He watched her as she rolled, eyes scoping down the skin he'd imagined touching a hundred times. He rested his hand against his leg, knuckles rubbing against her outer thigh each time she shifted even just a little. She glanced over and their eyes met, the boy getting a little lost in her. She nudged his hand and he looked down, realizing she was trying to hand him the dice.

_Smooth, Keller._

"Oh! Thanks," he took his turn, heart racing at how close he'd come to just giving in and kissing her right then.

"You are so out of it today," Brooke said as she watched him roll the dice, his eyes on the board but seeming to be concentrated on anything else.

_Oh no, you're too close. He doesn't want you near him. I knew this was all wrong! Stop fooling yourself, Brooke._

She casually scooted to her left so they were no longer touching, running a hand through her hair in the process. She smiled lightly when he landed on one of her properties, "Ha! Pay up, lover boy."

Chris leaned a little closer than necessary to hand her the money, their legs brushing again as he leaned across the board to exchange some money with the bank. When he sat back, they were even closer than before, the back of his hand resting against her thigh casually. He handed her the dice, eyes twinkling a little from the touch, "You're up."

There was a knock at the door and both of them jumped, the brunette making the first move and gladly standing up with the money in her hands. She exchanged the money for the food, sending the Chinese boy a wink as she shut the door. "You know, we get the same delivery guy every time and he still doesn't give us stuff for free. Do my winks not work?"

One blink. Two.

"Brooke… he's gay." Chris tilted his head, "He's totally got a thing going on with the pizza delivery boy that always comes here. I saw them making sexy eyes at each other. Trust me, you could never be the issue."

"Oh my gosh, that makes me feel way better about myself," Brooke said as they quickly finished up the game and packed it away, setting the food down in between them. She snatched one of his eggrolls from his pile and started munching away. "Well, are there any delivery guys that aren't gay? Because Brooke Davis is single and ready to mingle."

_Yes. That is casual. Show that you are willing to move forward. Without necessarily saying you have feelings for him. Good girl._

His face fell for only a second at the thought of her moving on to someone else, but he quickly masked it with a smirk, "Well the chick who delivers from that tiny café down the street is single. I could get her number for you," he teased.

_There! Now she knows you don't want her to date any other men. Good job, Chris. You got this!_

Brooke frowned and set her eggroll down. So clearly he was interested in her after all if he was suggesting other people. "Right." She laughed and shook her head, giving her throat a quick clear. "So um, Haley's been asking about you. You should visit her. Maybe bring Michael with you next time. Jamie would love a new friend."

"Speaking of Michael," he licked his suddenly dry lips, lowering his fork to the carton, "the final hearing is in two weeks. I was hoping you'd want to come with me. There's not anyone that I'd rather have there. I want you."

"Awe, really?" Brooke melted inside but she pretended to keep her cool. She smiled warmly at Chris and leaned over, her hand falling on top of his. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Chris moved in and brushed his lips against the side of her head, hand turning palm up and giving hers a squeeze, "Thank you. I don't think I could do it alone."

"You could," Brooke assured him, her eyes meeting his and giving off a warmth and comfort in the atmosphere. "But I'll be more than happy to be there. And whatever the outcome, I'll still be there."

"You're amazing, you know that?" He leaned in and wrapped his arms around her, breathing her in and letting his eyes fall closed, "I don't know where I'd be without you, Dimples."

Brooke gladly wrapped her arms around him, returning the hug and closing her eyes.

_Don't let go of me._

"You're my best friend."

"You've been my best friend for a long time now," he whispered back. He pressed a kiss to her shoulder, arms tightening.

_You're so much more than that though._

Brooke adjusted herself on the floor and crawled over to where he was sitting, the brunette climbing into his lap and burying her face in his chest. They stayed together in silence, the fashion designer breathing him in and calmly breathing out. Her voice was quiet and soft, but full of love, "I feel my safest with you."

He leaned his cheek against her hair, "Even though I'm kind of a wimp?"

"You're not a wimp when it comes to protecting the people you care about," Brooke whispered, shaking her head. "And one day, when you find your princess to rescue, she'll see how strong you really are and think _wow, I'm insanely lucky."_

"That's how I feel with you," he laughed quietly, voice soft. "I get to be your best friend and spend my time with you. Damn, I'm insanely lucky."

"You're Chris Keller. Famous Chris Keller," Brooke said back, her eyes opening though she was still lost in his trance. "All the girls in America and other countries wish they were me right now. I'm the lucky one."

"I'd give it all up, you know," his lips brushed her cheek, "the fame and fortune, all of it. If I had to choose between this moment and being up on that stage… there wouldn't be even a second where I debated not choosing this."

Brooke shook her head, not choosing to believe that was true. It was in her nature to keep her guard up when the sweet words were given. She fell for them too many times and it often led in hurt and a broken heart. "What's so special about this moment?"

He blinked slowly, finding comfort in her arms, "When I was married, we spent a good portion of the time fighting about stupid stuff. Like, REAL fights. We'd argue about who would do the laundry and then she'd storm out and go stay with you for the night. And before that, I spent my days pretty much being an ass because it was easy."

He shook his head, "Right here, now, I feel calm. I never felt like I could breathe before, but now I can. You give me that."

"So can everyone else… who isn't Peyton. And I guess Lucas," Brooke said, shaking her head. "There's Haley, Mia, Clay, Nathan, Jamie and Michael."

"It's different," he argued quietly. "With Michael and Jamie, I'm excited and full of energy. And I get like that with everyone else too, but with you," he let out a slow breath, "I've never had this with anyone else."

"Never had what?" Brooke asked softly. She lifted her head and her eyes met his, both of them so close to each other that their noses brushed.

"Comfort. Security." He licked his bottom lip, breath hitting her lips, "This kind of happiness."

_Love._

"Well, that's what best friends are for," Brooke said with a light smile, giving his nose a light kiss before burying her face back into his shirt.

_Smooth Brooke. Smooth. Don't even act on it. Why are you so scared? The worst you'll get is a rejection. You'll still be best friends. Right?_

Chris groaned internally, pissed at himself for letting the moment pass them by without kissing her.

_Wait… was that even a moment? Crap, I'm misreading signs again._

He kissed the top of her head and closed his eyes, "We'll always be like this, right?"

"As long as you're willing to put up with me," Brooke said with a light laugh. "Then I don't see why not. Let's get to the movies. We can watch one of your scary ones. But that means you have to hold me and comfort me when I'm scared."

He gave himself an internal high five, standing up and slipping her down onto the couch, "Get comfy and I'll put one in."

Grabbing a blanket from the hall closet, he made his way back into the living room and slid the scariest one he could find into the player. He slid in next to Brooke, wrapping the blanket around her. Finger poised over the play button he turned to her, smirking, "Are you ready for this?"

"Not at all," Brooke shook her head back and forth with wide eyes as he pressed the button. It started out mysterious and dark. And for the first twenty minutes everything seemed okay. But of course, the next scene showed the killer doing his thing with nothing but blood baths everywhere. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh!" She squealed and covered her eyes, burying her face in his shoulder and wrapping her arms around him, her leg falling over his lap.

Chris laughed loudly and curled his arms around her tiny frame. His fingers slid up and down her arm softly and he pressed a light kiss to her bare shoulder during one of the calmer parts of the movie. Before they knew it, the killer was chasing the main character and Brooke was completely in his lap, shaking.

"You're okay," he whispered with a soft laugh, "I've got you."

"How do people w-watch this stuff for fun?" Brooke asked with wide eyes, her body still shaking slightly. She jumped when she heard a loud bang from outside and she clung tighter onto him, her fingers curling through his shirt. "We're gonna die."

"We're not gonna die," Chris couldn't stop his laughter at this point, not even paying attention to the movie as he focused on her. "That's just the wind. You're being silly. I won't let anything happen to you."

"Yeah huh! He's got a chainsaw. You've got your fists!" Brooke said, her eyes going back to the movie. She nearly gagged at the sight and quickly pulled the blanket over her whole body, the brunette hidden from view. She closed her eyes, her hand accidentally brushing over his junk though she didn't notice.

Chris jumped a little, eyes going wide. He looked down at where her hand was still resting above him and tried to shift it away, feeling himself start to react. "U-um why don't we lay down to watch the rest?"

Brooke's hand pressed down even further as she adjusted underneath the blanket, "I'm not coming out of hiding. No way. Nope. My brains are going to stay in my head and are not gonna be a part of a zombie's next meal."

He whimpered quietly and shook his head, "B-but this isn't even a zombie movie. Let's just lay down…"

"You don't know," Brooke said, her fingernails running over the skin under his shirt softly. "They can just pop out of nowhere! They always do that."

He closed his eyes and tried not to focus too hard on the feel of her nails on his skin. He licked his lips and took a deep breath, "There are only a few minutes left. No zombies. Promise."

Brooke let out a breath and finally peaked out of her blanket hiding place. No zombie came out of nowhere and attacked her and she let out a breath of relief. "Okay." She sat up and smiled at him, "Let's lay."

Chris shifted beneath her on his side, pulling her back against his chest. His cheek rested against hers and he smiled when her fingers dug into his arm a moment later from fear.

_Nothing else compares to this._


	8. It Was Always You

**Chapter 8: It Was Always You**

**AN: You have all been so patient and so amazing with the continued reviews. Thank you all so much – you have no idea what it means to us. We hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**~ C & B ~**

The tiny country courtroom was buzzing with activity as case after case was presented. Before Chris's eyes men were sent to jail on petty charges, families were brought together, and families were torn apart. His confidence was at an all time low as he sat alone in the room, waiting for his turn. None of his friends had been allowed inside because of overcrowding issues, and as he wrung his fingers together in his lap, his nerves were eating him alive.

Basically it was a waiting game. The decision had been made weeks ago and with the exception of a few small questions at the beginning of the hearing, everything was pretty much set in stone. If he'd managed to wow them with his charm and his friends' confidence in him, Michael was his. But if his reputation and shady past had swayed the judge the other way, well, there was nothing to be done about it at this point.

"Christopher Keller. Please step forward."

He took one calming breath and made his way to the stand. His eyes disappeared behind his lids for a moment as he calmed his racing heart. Slowly he opened them, staring into the eye of the judge and awaiting his answer.

**~ C & B ~**

A small hand snaked forward and smacked the back of a blonde head. Clay turned to Haley with a glare and she glared back, giving him a pointed stare, "Quit watching them."

The blonde scoffed and glanced back at Lucas and Peyton, "Doesn't it bother anyone else, even a little bit?"

Nathan barely even spared him a glance and Haley shook her head, dark waves falling into her face. She brushed them back behind her ear and her motherly smile came over her face, "It's sweet that you're so protective of Chris, but he's okay with them being together. You should be too."

"Well, at least you're bothered too, right?" He directed his question to Brooke. Silence was his only answer.

He and Haley turned and followed her gaze, green eyes staring at the door of the courtroom. She hadn't moved an inch since they arrived, sitting completely still and watching those doors. She had faith in Chris and Michael, but she also knew how these things sometimes went, so she waited. She was prepared for anything. No matter what happened, she would be there for Chris.

_That's what you do for the people you love…_

Clay sighed and glanced back at Peyton and Lucas, frowning as he watched them interact. The two blondes sat together on the opposite side of the hallway, both here to show support to the friend they were slowly gaining back. They had isolated themselves when they'd arrived and now they were smiling together, fingers curling and eyes meeting almost shyly. They were official now, but things were still moving slowly between them. Neither wanted to risk moving too fast.

_Not this time._

Peyton laid her head against Lucas's shoulder and glanced toward the door, eyes falling to her former best friend for a moment. She watched the anxious faces she made and the way she tightened her fists every time someone exited and it wasn't Chris. Slowly her eyes drifted to her new boyfriend again, voice soft and hopeful, "Do you think it's a good sign that we haven't heard anything yet?"

The blue eyed boy nodded slowly, his face far more confident than hers, "Honestly I think they're just making him swear. Chris is surprisingly awesome with kids. Don't worry, he's got this."

The doors opened again and all of them stood, watching Chris's strong and confident stride from the judge's bench out to them. The boy didn't announce the verdict. He didn't stop to hug Haley and shake Nathan's hand. He didn't react at all to Lucas and Peyton. He had a goal and he didn't waste any time.

He strode straight over to Brooke, his hands grabbing her hips, and he pulled her to him. His lips descended on hers before she could even react.

The last thing Brooke heard was the silent gasp of shock coming from Haley as Chris pulled her in, his lips stumbling upon hers. From that moment on, the rest of the world faded out and it was just the two of them.

_The man you love is kissing you, Brooke Davis. Oh my gosh. Kiss back!_

Her arms wrapped around his neck then, the brunette deepening the kiss immediately, her body pressed to his. It was better than what she had imagined all those nights alone in bed, thinking him over and getting the butterflies of picturing this moment. Needless to say, the butterflies were flying more than ever right now.

_She's kissing back! She's kissing back! Stop thinking and kiss her!_

Chris's lips moved smoothly over hers, tasting a mixture of coffee and strawberry lipgloss on her tongue as it lightly brushed his. His fingers tightened on her hips and he made the moment last as long as he could. They broke away after a moment, both gasping as their eyes met and their foreheads touched. Before either could say or do anything, a slow clap started behind them.

Clay stood up onto his chair, hands coming together slowly, "Finally!"

Brooke turned her head to look at Clay, hazel eyes narrowing on blue. He was definitely not a part of the butterfly fantasies of this moment.

Haley quickly leaned up and pushed him back down into his seat, smiling politely but awkwardly at Brooke and Chris, "Carry on."

The brunette cracked a smile before turning back around to meet the eyes of Chris, her voice soft but heard and hopeful, "I take it you're a father now?"

He nodded, heart racing in his chest and smile wider than it had ever been, "He's mine, Brooke. Michael's mine. They're gonna bring him out in a while after everything is processed." He brushed her hair back behind her ear, voice lowering, "I've never been this happy. You helped me do this. I get to be a dad."

Brooke's smile widened, dimples showing as clear as day for the first time in a long time as she brushed her nose over his lightly. "I'm so proud of you." She leaned in further, her head falling as she embraced him in a hug.

He breathed in deeply and brushed his lips over the side of her head. His eyes closed and he just rested there for a moment, focusing on the beat of her heart and the feel of her pressed against him. His smile touched her ear and he let out the quietest breath, "Thank you for being the first person I saw. He said Michael was mine and you were the only person I wanted to tell."

Brooke's heart fluttered and she pulled back, her fingers lightly playing with the bottom of his shirt. "Michael is going to be the happiest boy ever. I can't wait for him to come out with us."

Chris's fingers slid up her arm, over her shoulder, and lightly traced her neck and jaw. He tilted her chin up, their eyes locking in an intense stare, no one else existing, "I'm gonna kiss you again."

The tickly feeling in Brooke's stomach was back and she bit her lip, a soft breath from her the only response as she nodded her head slightly. Their lips met, the brunette unable to hide a smile for a second. It's finally here.

_After all the heartache, all the pain, all of the emotional beat downs, the worry of not knowing whether or not you're good enough for him, it's finally here._

His smile was as wide as it had ever been when they pulled back again and he let out a happy laugh, "I have wanted to do that for months. Probably longer."

_I've been crazy about you for as long as I can remember._

"He's been crazy about you for as long as I can remember," Clay said, smirking when Chris shot him a look. "What? It's true. He was thinking it. I was just saying it."

Brooke laughed softly and let her fingers lightly trickle down his arms until their fingers were crossed together. "I've been crazy about you for a while."

"I told her to tell you like months ago," Haley said, holding up a hand in her own defense. "Just saying."

"And hey, we pretty much knew too," Peyton pointed out, shooting a smirk towards Chris. "I told the girl to go for it."

He looked down at Brooke and slowly raised his brow, "You seriously had no clue?"

"Well you didn't," Brooke said in her defense, smiling lightly and giving his hands a light squeeze. "But I guess that doesn't matter now, does it?"

"No, I guess it doesn't," he agreed. He leaned down for another kiss just as the door opened.

Tiny feet pounded against the ground and Chris glanced up at the loud 'Daddy!' that filled the air. He scooped the boy up at the perfect moment, snuggling him to his chest and smiling from him to Brooke, "Hey baby boy. You get to come home with me!"

"Hey Michael," Brooke said with a wide smile, her eyes burning lightly as the tears threatened to escape. They were happy tears, tears that Brooke wouldn't mind to show. "You look extra handsome today."

"Hey Mikey," Lucas and Clay both said at the same time with adoring smiles, Haley and Nathan smiling widely at the boy.

The tiny boy blushed at all the attention and buried his face into Chris's neck shyly. He reached over and curled his fingers into Brooke's shirt but didn't say a word, nuzzling deeper when Clay approached. Chris laughed quietly and gave the boy a tickle, "Don't get all shy on me now, silly boy. This is our family."

Dark eyes brightened and he peaked over at the small group, "My family too?"

"Yeah, buddy. Mine and yours. And you already know Brookie over here. I know how much you like her."

"I'm Uncle Clay," the blonde said with a soft voice, his smile only widening as the boy slowly fell out of his shell. "We're gonna be best buds. Do you like power rangers?"

Haley laughed lightly when he nodded, her head tilting lightly, "I'm Haley and this is Nathan. We have a little boy named Jamie who would love to play with you."

And then came the ex's. Lucas and Peyton both stood, hands curled together and eyes filled in awe. They were both truly proud of Chris for how far he's gotten with his life. Michael was the perfect child to ever have. He was a gift to them all. "I'm Peyton."

"And I'm Luke, little man."

Michael still clung to the sleeve of Brooke's shirt and stayed as close to Chris as possible, but he lifted his head to look at them all. He smiled shyly at everyone before his eyes locked on Clay, "The blues is my favorite."

Chris's smile went wide and he locked eyes with Brooke when the boy reached out for her to hold him. His cheeks almost ached from how big his smile was, but still he handed the boy over. He glanced at the small group and nodded his head, "Thanks for coming today. It's good for him to meet you all like this. To meet our family."

Lucas's eyes met Chris at the word family, both of them sharing a respectful nod as he brought Peyton into his arms and brushed his lips at the top of her head. "Family."

Brooke snuggled closely to Michael, the little boy feeling comfortable in her arms as she placed a light kiss on his forehead. "I love you, baby boy."

"I lub yous too, Bwooke."

The boy closed his eyes and breathed in her comforting scent, fingers lightly playing with the tips of her hair. He wiggled a little to get comfortable, letting out a quiet sigh, "Cans I sweep?"

His father, _holy shit I'm a father!, _glanced over and started to take the boy, "Yeah, buddy, come here."

Michael shook his head and clung to Brooke, "Uh uh. Want Bwooke."

Everyone's face fell in absolute awe, especially Brooke's as she nodded her head and took a seat at a nearby chair. Her voice was soft, comforting and above all filled with love, "Of course, sweetie." She rocked him lightly, her hand running through his hair slowly as she watched him drift off into a quiet slumber in her arms.

Chris stared at her like she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen, watching how absolutely perfect she was with Michael. He didn't even notice Lucas and Clay join him on either side until his former best friend spoke up quietly, "I never looked at her the way you are right now. I'm glad she has you to love her now."

The musician glanced over, nodding slowly, "I always had a soft spot for her. She's kind of perfect." He smiled and made his way to her, sitting next to her and gesturing to the boy, "I can take him if you want."

Brooke shook her head and smiled at Chris, the brunette still rocking him lightly. Michael spread a whole new type of warmth throughout her entire body. She was never a fan of little children until Jamie came along. Then she started to realize how wise they were and how understanding they could really be. Having Michael in her arms was probably one of the greatest feelings ever.

She'd never know how her mom could be so cruel to her. Was it because she grew up? She was no longer an understanding child anymore? Brooke knew one thing from this; she was never going to become her mom.

"You can't take him away from me that easily," she teased lightly, sending him a wink.

Lucas sat back down in his seat, pulling Peyton into his lap as he brushed her curls away with his nose and breathed her in. "You know, you're great with kids, too. As long as there's a fire extinguisher around."

Peyton's head fell back in laughter, the blonde's laugh stirring Michael for a second. Lucas leaned in and pressed his lips to her to silence her, both of them smiling against each other's kiss.

"Daddy?" The boy mumbled, grabbing his father's arm as his eyes drooped again, "I lubs you."

"I love you too, Mikey, more than anything in the world," Chris promised, kissing the boy's head. "Go back to sleep, I'm right here."

"Daddy?" he repeated, forcing his little eyes open, "Dos you lub Bwooke?"

Chris let out a quiet laugh and met Brooke's eye, nodding slowly, "Course I do, bub."

Michael huffed, "You haves to say it!"

Blue eyes widened at the boy's order and he smiled at Brooke almost shyly, "I love you, Brooke. And not just cuz Mikey says I have to."

Brooke smiled just as shyly back, "I love you too." She watched Michael let out a satisfying breath, his eyes drifting shut yet again.

_Don't get your hopes up. You know he didn't mean in love._

"Why don't we go back to the house and cook up some barbeque?" Nathan suggested quietly as he stood up. Everyone agreed and also stood, Brooke sure to be careful with her steps so she didn't wake up Michael.

Once they all arrived at the Naley household, Michael was put into one of the guestrooms, Jamie fast asleep in his own room after being watched by Deb. Lucas and Peyton were sitting under the shade together outside, both of them engaging in conversation with Nathan and Clay who were both grilling together, Brooke sitting back on a swing and swinging back and forth slowly as her summer dress fell slightly over her mid-thigh.

Haley walked outside, spotting Chris staring at Brooke sneakily from the spot he was standing at. She walked up to him with a wide smile, her intentions clear. "So, whatcha doin?"

His eyes shot to her and he only smiled, "Just enjoying my life. I got the kid. A great job. Amazing friends."

He bit his bottom lip and let his eyes fall to Brooke, "And now I get the girl. I don't have any complaints."

"The girl's waiting for you to seal the deal and make this official," Haley said with an even wider smile as she nudged him. "Go get her, Keller."

With a quick smile and a nod, he made his way over to Brooke. He ignored the stares he could feel coming from every direction and took the seat next to her. They looked at each other shyly and he curled their fingers together. Their smiles were soft and mirrored each other in their nervousness, "I don't really know how to do this. It's been a really long time, but um… I've been crazy about you for months, probably longer. I just want to be with you."

Brooke smiled, her eyes searching his face slowly. The butterflies were back with every touch they made, her life finally coming into shape. He was the missing piece. She was finally getting it.

_It's okay to let your heart open up again, Brooke. It's all okay. Trust him._

"I want to be with you, too," she said softly, turning her swing and leaning in as their lips met softly.

He smiled into the kiss, fingers lightly curling into her hair as he pulled her closer. Their swings threatened to break their kiss and he tugged her over onto his lap. Clay started another slow clap by himself, but this time the couple didn't even notice, focusing only on each other and this moment they'd been waiting a long time for.

_For happiness._

Haley chucked her shoe at Clay's head, the boy yelping and pouting as he quickly stopped his clapping and watched on. He nudged Lucas and smirked, "See. I knew this was going to happen. I was the first one to notice!"

"Congrats, dude," Lucas said with a laugh, shaking his head as he brushed his lips over Peyton's. "Everything's falling together for everyone."

"Finally," Peyton agreed softly.

Brooke's lips moved softly against Chris's, her tongue sliding lightly over his as her hands pressed against his chest. Neither pulled away until they needed to catch their breaths, Brooke's nose brushing his. "Thank you for noticing me."

"I always noticed you," he said honestly, shaking his head. "I didn't think there was a chance for this so I pretended like I wasn't falling. But every day I fell a little more. Not gonna lie, I was extremely jealous that you wanted to date a pizza boy."

Brooke giggled, her cheeks flushing red as she thought over the night that she said she'd date a pizza boy. "That was you being jealous? It's adorable."

He snorted, shaking his head, "I was trying to be subtle by suggesting a lesbian. You know, show you I don't want you to date a man. But Haley tells me that was a stupid idea.."

Her head fell back in laughter then and she nodded her head, brow raising a little, "Yeah that was not your best idea. But that's okay because I'm on the same boat with you. We kept it hidden. We don't have to anymore."

His entire face lit up as if he just realized he was right, "We get to be together."

"Should I expect my face in a magazine soon?" Brooke asked, her fingers lightly brushing over his as she stared at him with an adorable smile. "Because if so, I need to make sure I look my best every day just in case."

Chris laughed and tilted his head, "As if you ever look any less than perfect. Come on, Brooke Davis, Chris Keller knows you better than that. If the paparazzi comes, you'll be ready."

"Food's ready!" Nathan yelled out, smiling when Clay was the first one to fill his plate with all types of food and sit down.

Lucas and Peyton sat down next to each other, both of their eyes locking every now and then to blow kisses at each other.

Brooke was surprised when Chris pulled her into his lap, the brunette smiling down at him as he fed her a piece of his burger. "You're already so good to me."

"You should feel honored," he teased, brushing her hair back from her face to give her a sweet kiss. "You know I don't share my food with anyone. You're special."

"I do," Brooke said with another laugh, running her finger over his bottom lip slowly as she stared into those amazing blue eyes that drove her butterflies insane.

"It's about time the four of them finally find happiness," Nathan whispered to Haley, shooting her a wink as he leaned over and kissed her lightly.


	9. Clay Approved

**Chapter 9: Clay-Approved**

**AN: We are so glad that you guys liked the get together last chapter! We'd been stringing you guys along for a while, but yay! Bris is together! A lot of you guys asked if that was the end and it's definitely not, we've still got plenty of story left to tell! So keep reading and reviewing!**

**~ C & B ~**

The tiny dark haired boy stared ahead of him in shock. His dark eyes widened and his little mouth formed a perfect circle. He turned slowly and looked at Chris in complete and utter awe, voice a hushed excitement, "This is mines?"

The musician nodded and crouched down to eye level, grabbing a stuffed bear from a shelf to his left. He tapped the boy's nose with it and grinned at the adorable giggle the boy let out. He gathered the boy into his arms, squeezing him tight as he handed the bear over, "It's all yours. Brooke and your Aunt Haley helped me pick everything out. Do you like it?"

Michael looked around again, head nodding rapidly, "I lubs Power Rangers!"

Chris laughed and patted the boy's back. He watched as Michael ran over to the toy box, sifting through all his new things with the excitement of a child on Christmas. _And he kind of is, _Chris realized. He'd gone from having no family to having a bunch of people who would do anything for him. From having toys that he was forced to share with the other children in the orphanage to having a huge room filled with new, untouched things.

The walls were a light blue with the old school Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers painted in various positions and actions. Peyton and Brooke had worked together on it, their friendship slowly on the mend since all the hidden feelings had been revealed. And Haley had helped to pick out most of the action figures and other toys that rested in toy boxes and on shelves. Brooke, of course, had been in charge of clothes – _I have to remember to get that credit card back from her when I see her later…_

_Or kiss the crap out of her, _his subconscious added, the boy smiling widely to himself as he thought of the spunky brunette he had come to adore. He couldn't remember the last time he had been this excited to see a girl.

_Was I ever?_

Leaning down and giving Michael a light kiss, the adult headed downstairs to check on the rest of the house. As he'd told Brooke he would a few months ago, Chris had put a down payment on this house the second he suspected that the adoption might go through. He walked through his pre-furnished house with a content smile, something about the place always feel like home to him from the moment he first saw it.

He hung a couple of the pictures Brooke had framed for him of their friends and of himself and Michael, thankful to her for knowing he would be far too lazy to do it himself. And the rest was a go. The place was exactly as he'd always dreamed it would be.

"Daddy?"

Chris straightened the last picture and called up the stairs, "I'll be right up, Mikey!"

He put away the tools he had been using and headed back up the stairs, taking two at a time as he rushed to his boy.

Michael held up a book as soon as he saw his father, innocence in his eyes, "Daddy, can you read this to me?"

The young father slowly looked around, eyes going wide as he wondered how it was possible for a little boy to make this huge of a mess in just ten minutes. He held his hand out for the book and gave Michael his best serious (and kind) look, "You have to clean up all your toys first, baby boy."

"But Daddy…"

"Michael."

That was it. One word. Michael sighed heavily but complied, tossing everything into the toy box until it was over flowing. He tossed a couple random things onto shelves where they really didn't belong, but Chris didn't even care, he was too caught up in the complete amazement that he really was a father. That he really could get a kid to gladly clean up his room.

_Internal high five for Chris Keller, _he thought happily.

Taking a seat on Michael's bed, he opened his arms to the boy when the room was clean again. He opened the book and pressed his lips to his son's head, "Okay, here we go. Once upon a time…"

**~ C & B ~**

Brooke smiled happily as she walked around the wooden floors of her store, heels clanking rhythmically and giving off the happiness that was within. She couldn't help but feel like a teenager all over again. She had only ever felt this into a relationship once before. And it was with Lucas. But that had been long, long ago. And even so, this feeling was more powerful than the first time around. It bid to her inside, wrapping around her healing heart.

"Excuse me, Brooke; do you want me to go get you the usual coffee now?" Millicent asked, unable to fight back a shy smile. It was as if the brunette's happiness was contagious to every human being surrounding her.

"Um, I think you should get to work and stop worrying about small things such as coffee," Victoria said as she entered the store, her eyes falling silently on her daughter's.

_I said contagious to humans, right?_

Victoria studied Brooke for quite some time, Millicent long gone to the back of the store to check off a few paperwork and shipping information. Stepping slightly forward, the mother's lips parted, voice monotone. "I don't approve."

Brooke raised her brow slowly and defensively crossed her arms over chest. "Well, lucky for me your approval means… Hmm, nothing." She shrugged and turned her back on her mother, posture high as she confidently moved back to the front counter of the store.

"Don't act like a spoiled brat, Brooke Penelope Davis," Victoria said, a fire burning in her eyes. She wasn't used to her daughter having the courage to be a free person. For as long as she could remember, she walked all over Brooke. Always. Even with Lucas around, Brooke's confidence was so low. Now, it was skyrocketed.

"I'm not, I'm just saying," Brooke said as she shrugged yet again. She turned around, eyes meeting her mother's matching ones. "I'm just curious_, why_ don't you approve?"

Victoria rolled her eyes and let out a quiet scoff as if the answer was so obvious. "Sweetie, he's a joke. He's this tacky, unloved musician that made the right choice by stepping out of the playing field and keeping to himself. You are so much better than what he'll ever be. He's only going to bring you and what you've made of yourself down with him. I worry about your future."

"No, no, you worry about the future of this precious company that, for the record, is still owned by Brooke Davis," Brooke said, shaking her head. "Raise your hand if you're Brooke Davis." She raised her hand and smiled sarcastically when Victoria didn't do it as well. "Exactly."

Victoria was actually insanely frustrated at this point. Brooke was easier to persuade. This had been the first time ever that she couldn't break the barrier and affect her decisions. So she did something so intelligent yet used in the worst way possible. Her eyes filled with tears. "I just," she swallowed hard, the act so perfectly done, she could've won an Oscar, "I just don't want you to end up like me and your father."

Brooke's face fell at the mention of her father. She hadn't seen him in a while. A little bit after high school, Victoria and Ted decided to go their separate ways. Filing for divorce was the first thing Richard had in mind. It left the bitter mother even bitterer if that was possible. "Mom..."

"No, Brooke," her voice cracked, the mother shaking her head and running a finger over the bottom of her eye. "I thought I loved your father. I do _love_ your father. But he doesn't love me anymore. And that hurts. So much."

Through the sadness she was smiling inside, knowing she hit a spot within Brooke. "I would never wish the same hurt upon you. But with Chris, I just feel like he's just like Ted. He's made of money; he has everything he could ever want. He's just using you. A pretty face is good for his image."

Brooke stood there, the tears streaming down her cheeks slowly. Victoria waved her over for a hug and the brunette stepped for hesitantly. Her mom gave her the okay to embrace her, Brooke walking over to her mom and wrapping her arms around her.

The door to the store opened, in walking the musician himself. Victoria held Brooke tight as if possessing her from the musician and stepped back, the smirk on her face falling into fake sadness. "Go away, Christopher. Brooke no longer needs you." She ran a hand through her daughter's hair, Brooke hiding in Victoria's embrace.

Blue eyes filled with confusion and dark brows furrowed. Chris stepped forward, ignoring Victoria as he held out his hand to Brooke, "Baby, what's the matter? Did something happen?"

Victoria slapped his hand away just as it was about to touch her hair, the boy turning to her with a deep glare, "Do you mind not being a hag for two seconds so I can talk to my girlfriend?"

Victoria let out a snarl of pure hatred and disgust, her protective (totally evil) clutch on Brooke never weakening. "Don't you get the hint that you are no longer wanted?" She held up her chin high, the amusement in her eyes seen by Chris for a split second and it was purposely done to fuck with his mind. "Brookie, do you wanna talk to him?" Her voice was gentle, motherly, something she knew Brooke was always in want for. Just a gentle and caring mother.

There was no response from the brunette, Victoria's triumphant smirk widening, "We had a talk. I know what kind of boy you are and so does she."

"You have got to be kidding me," he mumbled, scoffing at the look on Victoria's face.

That dragon of a woman continued to smirk, knowing she'd beat him and that there was nothing he could say to compete with her. Brooke would always choose her. Victoria now, in this moment, seemed to be the very thing Brooke had been searching her whole life for. And Chris? Just another guy who would break her heart when he got the chance.

"Baby, Dimples, come on. Talk to me. You know who I am," he reached for her again, this time managing to lightly brush his fingers over her back before Victoria stepped back and jerked her daughter with her.

"Dimples, you know me better than anybody. You remember what you said to the adoption lady? That's me. I don't know what lies the devil over here has put into your head, but you know me so much better than this," desperation filled his tone and panic lit in his eyes at the realization that he might actually lose the girl he'd been waiting so long to finally have.

"Baby, please…"

Brooke was about to step out of Victoria's grasp and fall into the arms of the man that made her feel the safest when Victoria shook her head and looked down at her daughter, "No."

_No? What the fuck am I? A damn dog?_

That did it for her. She never liked being controlled. Lucas did that to her and she hated it. She stepped back without any thought, "I'll be back." She grabbed Chris's hand and led him to the back of the store, Millicent walking out as soon as Brooke gave her the look that said she needed to be alone.

Shutting the door behind her, she let out a shaky breath, "She told me you'd hurt me. Like my dad hurt her."

"I won't."

Chris took a seat on an overstocked box of shirts, lightly taking her tiny hand in his. Their fingers curled together and he hesitantly pulled her into his lap, tipping her chin up and meeting her eyes with all the feeling he had in him, "I'm not a perfect guy. I screw things up. I'm too cocky for my own good. And I sometimes get my priorities all outta whack. You know that already."

His thumb lightly brushed across her knuckles, "I will screw up sometimes and I may say the wrong thing and piss you off, maybe even hurt your feelings. Like I said, I'm not perfect. But the difference is, if I ever hurt you, I will make up for it without hesitation. And I would never hurt you on purpose. You're the only girl in the world who knows me like this, so surely you know that I'm not that guy anymore."

Brooke nodded her head slowly, her eyes searching his face. She felt that warmth, comfort and safety in his arms. She always did. And nothing would change that. Not even the persuasive words of her mother.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, nose brushing his as she closed her eyes and rested her forehead against his.

"Hey, as long as I'm not being dumped already, it's forgotten," he smiled reassuringly, brushing his lips across hers lightly. "I know how persuasive she can be."

"Wanna go home and cuddle? I'm on my lunch break," Brooke suggested as she kept her arms wrapped around him. "That's if you're willing to share that big bed of yours. I know how big your ego can get. Might be too much to add me to the mix."

"Your mom deflated it a bit, so I think there's room," he teased, pecking her lips with a light smile.

"Mikey is with Haley, big play date with Jamie so the house is ours."

"Before she flips a shit, let's sneak out of here," Brooke said with a quiet laugh as the both of them made their way to their feet and exited from the back of the store. They reached Chris's home not too long later, the brunette's smile wide as she fell back on the bed and Chris dipped his head down to meet her lips.

His fingers slid over her shoulders slowly and he frowned a little, pulling back from the kiss, "You're so tense. Roll over and take off your shirt."

She only raised her brow and he snorted, "Just trust me. On your stomach, shirt off."

The brunette shot him a look before doing as she was asked, turning her body away from him as she slid her shirt off. He was only left with looking at the light shaded skin of her back, bra still hooked and keeping itself locked tight. "You're not gonna leave, right? I'll kick your ass after I finish crying."

"I'm not leaving," he soothed, brushing his lips over her shoulder before straddling her legs and ass. He smiled and reached into the bedside drawer for the strawberry scented lotion he'd noticed that she stashed in there. He poured a little into his hands and lightly rubbed them together to warm them up before lightly applying them to her shoulders.

He kneaded her shoulders first, putting light pressure on the tensest spots and slowly working them out. He shifted a little when she moaned and leaned down to kiss her cheek, fingers finishing that up before slowly sliding down. He didn't ask for permission, unhooking her bra and pushing the back of it open. He smirked at her gasp and slid his fingers down the center of her spine.

_He was still Chris Keller after all._

She should've expected nothing less. Her man was Chris Keller after all. And she was definitely in no rush to stop him from letting his fingers slide down the soft skin of her back. The tension was lessening with each touch, the brunette's eyes fluttering shut as she let out soft breaths. "Keep going."

He dug his thumbs into her lower back, rubbing in small circles before sliding back up to hit another spot. Each moan made him feel like he was on fire, the boy not wanting her to ever stop making those sounds. The heel of his hand pressed down on the flesh surrounding her spine and the boy smiled, "So tense. When's the last time you got a massage?"

Brooke thought it over and honestly couldn't remember when she last got a massage. She had been so wrapped up in making sure everyone's lives were at peace and keeping her company at its highest that she forgot about herself. Until he pointed it out to her a few minutes ago, the tension in her body was something she was so used to, it just became a part of her. But now, someone noticed.

_Someone cared._

"I can't even remember. Maybe in the 10th grade," Brooke muttered, a different yet very pleased moan escaping her lips as he dug into a spot that was definitely in need of attention.

His fingers lightly brushed the side of her breast as his thumbs dug into her side of her back where a knot seemed to be deeply imbedded. He lifted her arm a little and poured some more lotion in his hands, massaging it deep into her skin until that spot was as loose as the rest.

"How's that?"

"I guess it's true what they say about Chris Keller after all," Brooke said in a flirtatious tone, stopping for a second to let out a pleased noise, "he's _very_ good with his hands."

Chris leaned down and pressed his lips to her spine, smiling against her skin, "Oh baby, I'm good with all sorts of body parts."

"Yeah?" Brooke challenged, turning her body around without warning and watching his eyes widen and trail over her bare breasts slowly. "What else?"

He licked his suddenly dry lips and slowly slid his hands up her sides, stopping just below her chest. It took a lot of restraint but he finally managed to raise his eyes to hers, locking with fire, "You have no idea how good I am with my tongue. I could show you," he kinked his brow.

Brooke's smirk grew and she hooked her thumbs over her pants teasingly, eyes just as filled with fire as his. She wanted this. All of it. "Show me."

The boy leaned in for her lips, two mouths meeting hungrily and quiet moans filling the room. He slowly kissed down her body, tongue trailing over her navel just as the bedroom door opened behind him.

"Hey dude, I brought- whoa you're almost naked!"

Chris was pretty sure he had never moved so fast in his life, hopping up from the bed and pushing Clay back into the doorway, covering his eyes. Clay had already seen it all though, shooting a thumbs up to the brunette even from behind Chris's hand, "Nice boobs. They are Clay-approved!"

The brunette's eyes were wide, her cheeks flushing in utter redness as she leaned over to grab her bra and hold her arm up to her chest. "Oh my gosh."

The musician glanced back at her, still firmly holding Clay. Her cheeks went more pink as he stared down at her covered chest, the boy shooting her a wink as he pushed Clay out of the room suddenly.

"Hey, I want to see too!"

Chris snorted and ignored him, glancing down at her with equal parts amusement and love in his eyes, "You okay?"

"Is Clay-approved a good thing?" Brooke asked, her brows rising questionably as she quickly hooked her bra back on and sat up on the bed, not bothering with her shirt just yet.

He laughed loudly and nodded his head, plopping down next to her and leaning over for a light kiss, "It's not nearly as good as Chris-approved, but it's not bad." He playfully bit her bottom lip, "And you are, you know. Chris-approved I mean."

"Oh I am?" Brooke asked with a wide smile as she placed a hand over her heart and shook her head, "Well, my life is definitely complete now." She leaned in and pressed their lips together, Clay whining out loudly about being attention deprived. "Oh my gosh, Clayton."

The boy smiled at her exasperation and glanced back at the door and his whining best friend, "You think he'll go away if we ignore him?" She gave him a look and he laughed, shaking his head, "I didn't think so either."


	10. Say You Love Me

**Chapter 10: Say You Love Me**

**AN: Hey guys! We just want to thank you so freaking much for sticking around for this long! We had no idea when we started this story just how much love it would receive. Now a special warning – this chapter is rated M! The overall story is still rated T however. Now we hope you enjoy! And as always, please review!**

**~ C & B ~**

Brooke moved around the kitchen in a bubble of excitement, her hip lightly bumping Haley's as she gave the girl a squeal, "Happy Anniversary, Tutormom."

Haley laughed and popped a small mint into her mouth, the group finished eating. They were all at the Naley household, celebrating the couple's anniversary and having a blast together. Chris was in the living room with Jamie and Michael, Lucas and Peyton sitting there smiling down at the children from the opposite couch.

"Can we please take them?" Peyton asked Lucas sweetly, her hand curling with his as she fluttered her eyelashes cutely. "We can take them out for ice cream. Their parents won't even know!"

"Maybe," Lucas said, brushing his lips over hers. "I'm worried about leaving your handful self with children. And I'm sure their parents will be worried, too."

"Psh, as if. I'm great at handling children. I can cook an-" she stopped speaking and pouted lightly at Lucas's loud laugh. "What? I can cook!"

"Yeah, those chocolate chip cookies, the best," Lucas said with another light laugh as he gave her a tender kiss. "Crazy girl."

Haley was watching Lucas and Peyton from her spot near the counter, Nathan coming up behind her and snaking his arms around her waist. He kissed the side of her head, the young mom retiring in his arms. "They're adorable."

Brooke nodded her head, her eyes glued to Chris and the two little boys. "He really, really is."

She felt the butterflies move around in her stomach like they always did when she thought about him. It had been a month or so since they began going out but everyday felt like the first day. The excitement and fire and pure happiness of it all still felt completely foreign in the most perfect of ways.

Haley's eyes shifted to Brooke and Nathan smirked, the basketball star staring at their best friend in absolute amusement. He and Chris had worked out their issues years ago, but he still couldn't quite wrap his head around the old relationship with Peyton, let alone his new one with Brooke, "Keller? We're friends and all – mainly cuz Haley makes me – but I will never understand his appeal."

The woman shushed her teasing husband with a light elbow to the chest, brown eyes lighting up at the completely love struck look on Brooke's face, "Awe! You are so in love."

Brooke's eyes widened at the word 'love' but she didn't deny anything and instead just smiled at Haley and gave Nathan a look before turning back to Chris. Their eyes locked and she blew him a light kiss, sending a wink his way.

It had been a while since she felt this way. _On top of the world. _Actually, now that she thought about it, she had actually never felt this way. She was running her company and, for once, her mom wasn't breathing down her neck. She'd backed off after her last attempt to break Brooke down. Chris had handled it all for her. He did a lot for her. From best friends to so much more, and it was still unreal for her.

"You know, not to meddle-"

"When have you ever not meddled?" "Did you even know how to not meddle?" Nathan and another voice mumbled at the same time. All eyes shot to the newly arrived Clay, the blonde only smirking and shrugging one shoulder, sipping his beer and tossing a handful of mini pretzels in his mouth.

"Anyway!" Haley interrupted, covering both men's mouths with her tiny hands and continuing as if they hadn't said a word, "Not to meddle, _but _I can tell how new this is for you. I've never seen you this happy, Tigger. Even when Victoria's Secret has a sale! You should tell him how you feel; he feels it too."

Brooke's cheeks flushed red and she felt all eyes on her, all expecting her to respond. Instead she flipped her hair and casually shrugged, "My man could use my company." With a snort from Clay, the brunette was in Chris's lap in an instant, lips brushing over his lightly.

Peyton scooped up Jamie, looking over at Haley, "I'm stealing him."

Haley smiled at the blonde warmly, "And just where do you think you're taking my little man?"

The curly blonde answered, slowly raising her brow and following Haley's gaze to the young couple when she realized she was being ignored. She giggled a little as she watched Brooke play with Chris's hair, trying to make it lose a bit of volume, "Really, Hales? Don't you think spying is a little beneath you?" Despite her words, Peyton turned her eyes on the couple too, amused by their innocent happiness.

Chris bumped his nose against hers, leaning down and playfully biting her chin now that Michael was preoccupied with Lucas. He caught her lips when she giggled, eyes sparkling in pure happiness.

"I love your hair," Brooke whispered with a wide smile, nose bumping his yet again as she played with the bottom of his shirt. "You ready to leave?"

"Ready," he agreed, standing suddenly. She squealed as his hands slid under her legs and he picked her up, their eyes meeting happily.

They said their goodbyes, Chris spending extra time giving Michael cuddles… and threatening Lucas to make sure the boy came home the next day in perfect condition.

Soon enough they arrived at Chris's house, fingers curled together as they made their way up to the bedroom. They only paused long enough to grab some drinks, their eyes light and smiles large as the tiny girl bounced on the bed and gave her boyfriend a kinked brow.

Chris leaned down, brushing their lips together, "You're cute."

Brooke couldn't help but laugh against his lips, dimples happily showing as she grabbed a drink from him and brought it up to her lips. "Well, I can't argue with that." Before taking a sip, she sent him a wink and leaned back on the bed.

He bowed his head and brought their lips together, nose bumping hers as his fingers tickled lightly up her sides, "We have the whole house to ourselves, what do you say we make out for a while… then play a game of monopoly?"

Brooke didn't say anything in response, just smiled and set the drink down on the bedside table before wrapping her arms around his neck and bringing him down to her level. Her lips pressed softly to his, the both of them getting deeper with the kiss in no time. Their tongues tasted and lips melded, each merely trying to get closer to the other as their hearts beat roughly in time.

Halfway through the kiss, Brooke rolled herself on top. She pushed Chris's chest down when he tried to lift up and kiss her again, turning her head to the full size mirror and taking her sweet time fixing her hair even though it would be messed up in a few minutes when their lips met again anyway.

The boy stared at her in amusement, voice coming out casual and sweet as words he'd been feeling for a very long time escaped, "I love you."

The movement her hands had over her chocolate locks quickly came to a halt, hazel eyes locking on blue. Moving from her head to his stomach, the brunette's fingers trickled lightly under his shirt and she bit her lip. After a quick moment, she smiled. She loved him too. Haley knew it, Nathan knew it, hell, everyone knew it. But most importantly, she felt it.

_And it felt amazing._

"I love you too." And with those four powerful words, she sealed the deal with a kiss.

Chris smiled against those soft lips he'd come to love. He was in complete disbelief right now that this was his life. _How in the hell did he get so lucky?_ His fingers curled into the hair she'd just fixed, but neither even cared, too caught in this new feeling of truly belonging together to let it bother them. He rolled her beneath him again, brushing his hands down her sides and his lips slowly moving down her chin.

"Say it again," he rasped.

Brooke slowly ran her finger over his bottom lip, legs wrapping high around his waist. "I love you."

His smile went as wide as it had ever been. He lightly kissed her finger and leaned up onto his elbows, brushing his lips over her chin next. Slowly his kisses trailed up her jaw, then back down and over the other side, kissing each and every inch of that gorgeous face. The face of the woman who loved him. _Loved him! _

"I love you."

Brooke let out a quiet breath, her hand falling onto the back of his neck as she let her head rest on the pillow. He moved up to get better access of her face, the brunette smiling at that. He appreciated her on a level that even the smallest things he did surprised her, but it all felt right. It all felt perfect. Her fingers lightly ran under his shirt, the boy's skin smooth against her fingertips.

Finally their lips met again, Chris's digits sliding down her leg. His other hand slowly slipped up the front of her shirt, fingers just barely grazing her flesh. Goosebumps broke out over her skin and Chris's lips slipped back down her jaw and up her neck, mouth sucking lightly on her pulse point.

A soft moan escaped the lightly glossed lips of the brunette, the grip her legs had around his waist tightening just slightly but enough to urge him forward. Her lips brushed the side of his head, his lips working on the same spot on her neck.

"Chris," she let out quietly in pleasure, swallowing hard while her fingers lightly ran through that set of hair she loved so much.

Chris lifted up for just a moment, pulling his t-shirt over his head and tossing it to the side. He moved back in for her lips, hand slipping back up her shirt and palming her breast. His thumb slid over her nipple through the lacy material and he breathed out heavily when her moan filled the room, "So gorgeous."

Brooke felt her cheeks flush at his words but another moan from her lips filled his ear. She finally met him for a kiss, the brunettes kissing each other long and lustfully, his hand switching to her other breast and doing the same action. Before either of them knew it, she was sitting up slightly and pulling her shirt over her head as it fell on top of his.

She heard his breath catch as she unclipped her bra, the boy eagerly but slowly sliding it down her arms and tossing it with the rest of their now growing pile of clothes. Bare chests brushed together, the hard nipples of the brunette fueling the man above her to let his hand wander down to the brunette's increasing heat.

The musician's fingers lightly stroked the girl through her jeans, his lips dropping down her chest. His tongue laved her nipple slowly and his hand unbuttoned her jeans and slipped inside. The lacy material was damp already and as warn as he'd dreamed it would be.

Lightly his mouth closed on her breast and his fingers found her nub, tweaking it lightly through her panties until her moans grew louder and she began to grind her hips up against his. He grinded right back down into her, smiling against her skin as his belt was pulled free immediately and her hands met his zipper.

For just a moment they paused, eyes locked and breaths heavy.

_Finally._

Their eyes remained locked, though Brooke's fluttered as his fingers stroked her folds and increased her heat. She whimpered and let her hand snake into his pants, getting a grip on his hard length as he groaned lightly. The groan spurred her forward, the brunette wasting no time and using her flexibility to advantage. Her legs hooked up higher and gripped his jeans, sliding them down easily.

Chris suddenly sat back on his knees, his fingers sliding from Brooke's pants. He slowly tugged at her jeans, pulling them down her long legs and tossing them to the side. Lifting her right leg, he trailed kisses up from her ankle to her inner thigh. His nose bumped her heat through her panties and he pressed a light kiss to her dampness before slowly removing them.

He licked his lips as he took in the sight of her, his mouth pressing lightly to her inner thigh as their eyes met, "My god you are perfect."

Brooke felt goosebumps form around her pale skin at the feel of his lips delicately placing soft kisses around her most sensitive spots. "Baby," she whispered, pulling at his boxers and eagerly feeling his hard length again. "So hard for me."

Chris pushed them down as her hand circled him, eyes fluttering closed and breath coming out shaky. He lightly pushed her hand away and dropped his head. He caught her eyes again and pressed a kiss to her heat before suddenly his tongue slipped forward, tasting her strawberry sweetness.

Her glistening juices increased, the boy enjoyably taking it all in with his tongue. Her fingers dug into his hair and she rocked forward against his mouth, legs spread open. She let out a loud moan as his tongue ran over her clit unexpectedly, Brooke urging him on, "Mmmm, more. Yes, yes."

Two fingers slipped into her and the girl cried out, Chris's tongue moving more eagerly against her. She tasted like heaven to the boy and he lapped it up hungrily, fingers dragging slowly along her upper wall and causing her thighs to shake as she drew closer.

"Baby," she whined out loudly, her head falling back as she rode his fingers and gasped when he found her spot. A different moan escaped her lips and he caught on quickly, fingers hitting the newly found spot again and again until the brunette's walls clenched around him and she let go. "Chris!"

His fingers slid free and he replaced them with his tongue. Her sweetness danced on his tongue and his sticky fingers slid up her body, going higher as his lips began to ascend up her body. He settled himself between her thighs and brought their lips together, letting her taste herself as her thighs spread further and her legs circled his waist.

Brooke moaned and wrapped her tongue around his fingers, sucking lightly as he watched on with lust filled eyes. Slowly, his fingers pulled out and she pressed their lips together for a second.

"I love you," she whispered, waiting for him to close the space between them.

"I love you too," he rasped, closing the gap and pushing into her fully.

The couple gasped, Chris bracing his hands on either side of her as they both adjusted. Slowly he pulled out and then pushed back in, both in shock at how well their bodies seemed to fit together. Within seconds they had a slow rhythm going, their hips rocking together and their bodies sliding.

Slow. Something Brooke definitely never did before. She dreamed about something like this for a while. And it was finally happening. Their bodies were made for each other. Her breaths were heavy, eyes still remaining locked with his through the flutters of pleasure she got. His cock rubbed her spot and she gasped out loudly, eyes shutting altogether as she embraced the gratification.

His fingers curled around the back of her neck and he brought their lips together. Her legs rose higher on his hips and he turned his head suddenly to nibble on the knee he'd pulled up.

"Uh, perfect girl. Brooke, mmm, dimples."

"Whose girl?" Brooke asked as she let out a whimper and rocked her hips forward into his, the boy sliding in and out perfectly. His thumb stroked her knee and she let out a cry, the boy finding another spot.

"M-my girl," he groaned, changing his angle slightly to rub more fully against her spot. "Chris Keller's girl. Mine. Your man."

With the boy thrusting deeply into her spot, it didn't take too much time as Brooke began to feel herself reach her climax. Her walls squeezed around him and she met his eyes, both of them knowing what she was about to do as her head fell back.

"That's my girl," he rasped, his own eyes rolling back as she clenched and brought him over the edge with her.

Their hearts raced and breaths increased, eyes meeting as they finished together. Slowly their lips met again and he breathed her in, smiling against her lips, "You are unreal."

"Your girl," she whispered and couldn't help but smile at that. She ran her finger over his bottom lip, staring up at him lovingly. It was like saying those two words really made it real for her. She was his.

He shifted onto his side, sitting up on one elbow and lightly sliding his fingers down her side and over her hip, "My girl."

His eyes searched her face slowly, lips curving up, "This is perfect."

Brooke let her head cuddle up against the pillow, Chris kicking the blanket up and over their bodies. She rested her hand on his chest, breaths soft, "I've never had this before. Was it like this for you and Peyton since you two were married?"

He shook his head honestly, frowning a little, "Never. This is… it's more. Better. But I don't want to talk or think about her. I only want to think about you. This, what we have, it's better than everything else. You're special."

"How come we spent our whole high school lives together and then the years after that not realizing this?" Brooke whispered as she ran her fingers over his skin and closed her eyes. "I knew you always secretly were attracted to me, baby."

"It wasn't really that much of a secret," he laughed, shaking his head. "Everyone knew about my massive crush on you… except for you. But then Peyton and I started dating, and well, my priorities shifted a little bit."

His nose slid over her neck and he grinned, "Did you ever want me? You know, before."

Brooke nodded her head slowly, thinking it over before speaking carefully. "I didn't want to. Everyone liked you. You were Chris Keller. You _are_ Chris Keller. I didn't want to be like every other girl in high school that drooled over you like a piece of meat. I was afraid. But I was falling. Before I could do anything, you and Peyton started doing your thing. Lucas pursued me after that when he realized Peyton wasn't his anymore."

He tilted his head a little, drawing his name with his finger on her hip over the sheets, "I think we had to do things this way. You needed Lucas and I needed Peyton. We weren't ready for each other yet. We needed to see how bad it could get before we got a chance to be with each other."

His brow quirked, voice teasing and low, "Yes, I'm a secret romantic, but try not to tell anyone. I do have a reputation to protect you know."

"Your songs scream romantic," Brooke teased back, giggling lightly at his look. "Someone that can come up with those lyrics off the top of his head is totally for the romance."

"You should have heard the songs I wrote when I still had a crush on you," he laughed, letting his head fall back against the bed. "Haley used to tease me mercilessly about them. You think I'm sappy now, you should have seen me then."

Brooke's eyes lit up and she sat up a little, blanket sliding down slightly. Her voice was slow, the brunette shocked, "You wrote about _me_?"

Chris's eyes dropped to her slightly revealed chest and he smirked, dragging the blanket down to rest on her hips. He grinned at the look Brooke gave him, fingers dancing up her sides as he nodded, "I have recently too. Are you really that surprised?"

Brooke nodded her head. It wasn't the same but Lucas wrote, too. She couldn't remember a day in their relationship where she actually inspired him. In fact, the days where he was actually on a writing spree were the days he had seen Peyton. "I'm really that surprised. I just, wow."

She looked at him and smiled almost shyly, "Thank you for noticing me."


	11. The End Where They Began

**Chapter 11: The End Where They Began**

**AN: So don't kill us… but this is the end. We have loved writing this story together and getting to read your amazing feedback every week. It's over, but that doesn't mean WE are over. There will definitely be more stories in the future – we can guarantee it. We are so thankful for all of you and we love you all so much. We would hug and each and every one of you if we could. Please, please keep an eye out for our next story. And who knows, we MIGHT do an epilogue someday. We love you! And as always, please review!**

**~ Kasey & Aly**

**~ C & B ~**

The tall brunette leaned back against the kitchen counter and crossed his arms over his chest, pouting like a petulant child. The tiny ex cheerleader stood her ground, mocking his position and crossing her own arms. It was a battle of wills, blue locking on green-hazel and refusing to look away.

"Chris has got this one," Clay spoke, sliding up behind Nathan and Lucas as they watched the couple battle silently.

"Bet you five bucks he doesn't," Peyton smirked. She cuddled herself into Lucas's embrace and stared at her ex husband in amusement, "Look at him! Nervous expression, beady eyes, shaking hands… he's two seconds from caving and she knows it."

"Twenty says he cries," Haley and Nathan said at the same time, shooting each other loving looks as they exchanged a dorky high five.

Four pairs of eyes turned on Lucas, clearly waiting for his bet. He threw his hands up and gasped, "Whoa I am not going to _bet_ on our best frien-"

Peyton gave him a disbelieving look and he grinned, "Okay fine, thirty bucks _she_ is going to cry."

They all turned back to the scene and observed their friends with amusement. For the last seven months this exact thing had been happening. Brooke and Chris would fight over something stupid. One of them would pout. They'd glare in silence. And eventually one of them would cave and basically kiss the other's ass until they were forgiven. But every single time they were okay. That's just who they were.

Chris sighed dramatically and just as he was about to give in, Brooke suddenly threw her arms around his neck with a mumbled 'sorry, baby.' The boy gave her a soft kiss, jumping in surprise when Clay's voice echoed through the house:

"I win, bitches! Pay up!"

And for the last seven months their friends had been betting on their fights – and Clay won every single time.

The musician rolled his eyes at his best friend and focused his attention instead on Brooke. Brushing her hair back from her face, he smiled, "Wanna kick them out of here and get some lunch with Mikey?"

"Now that, my friend is the best thing you've said all day," Brooke said with a grin, running a hand through his messy hair as she turned towards the group. With her Brooke Davis attitude, she waved them off, "Get out and leave me and my boyfriend be."

"Psh," Clay huffed and waved her off right back, "Well, I was about to leave anyways!" He tucked his bet won money in the back of his pocket and looked around at everyone else in the room. "Anyone up for a stripper club night?"

Haley and Peyton looked at the Scott brothers with raised brows, both men quickly shaking their heads. The girls smiled and hooked arms with them, brushing past Clay and leaving. Clay turned to the two and smirked, "Well, I'll leave you two be. But once you're bored, you know where to find the best and sexiest person alive."

"The beach," Chris and Brooke both said in unison with the same monotone expression as they rolled their eyes. She turned back to Chris and smiled, lips brushing his. "Kick him out already, baby."

"You heard my woman. Out!"

Clay looked at him with an offended expression, "You would really choose your girlfriend over me? Where's the loyalty?"

"Do you give me sex?" Chris raised his brow when Clay slowly shook his head, "Do you give me cookies when I'm having a bad day? Or cuddle me at night?"

The surfer gasped in outrage, "I cuddle you sometimes!"

Brooke gave them both a look and Clay glared at her as he headed for the door, "I don't like you anymore!"

"Call me, dude!" Chris yelled after him, laughing as he curled his arms around Brooke's waist again, "Now where were we?"

The both of them headed out, arriving at the Davis household not too long after departure. They made their way inside, Brooke smiling widely and brushing her lips over her mother's cheek, "Hey, mom."

"Hey sweetie," Victoria said as she hoisted Michael on her hip, smiling over at Chris, "Evening Christopher."

In the past months, Brooke had gained so much courage and bravery from the presence of Chris giving her so much strength. She never thought she was capable of finally being her own individual. Independence and confidence were her best friends all because Chris showed her she had reasons to hold them. And she applied that especially to work and her mother. Victoria realized this change and she realized it came from Chris. So she learned to live with the idea of her daughter's new lover. In fact, he was personally growing on her.

"Daddy!" Michael exclaimed excitedly, wiggling in Victoria's arms and stretching his own out to Chris.

"There's my boy!" Chris snatched the boy from her arms and gave him kisses. He wrinkled his nose up at the boy happily and set him down, "Go get your bag. Brooke and I are taking you out to lunch."

"Bwooke, will you come helps me find it?" the tiny boy looked up at her with those wide eyes that could melt a heart of steel.

Chris watched the exchange warmly before glancing at Victoria and giving her a quick grin, "Hey, Mama Davis. How was my boy?"

Victoria smiled and turned back to Chris, shaking her head and letting out a tired breath, "He is as tiring as his father, I must say. Try not to give him too much sugar when you go out to lunch."

Brooke nodded her head with a wide smile and grabbed that tiny hand as he scurried off quickly, "Sweetie, I'm in heels!" The boy didn't seem to care, Brooke having to power walk as her heels clanked against the wooden floor.

Michael let go of her hand when they reached the guest room that had quickly become his little play room. He grabbed random toys and tossed them around, looking for the bag he'd buried in here somewhere. He grabbed one of the trucks – his favorite simply because Brooke had gotten it for him – and held it out to Brooke, "Here, Mommy, I wanna take this one."

Brooke's eyes widened as she caught what he had just called her.

_Mommy…_

She bit her lip and actually smiled widely, not knowing how Chris will react but feeling a whole new shape of love forming in her heart all for this little boy before her. "Alright, sweetie. Let's get your bag and put this in." She leaned over and found the bag snug in between a pile of toys. "Found it!"

Michael hopped over little pile of toys until he reached her, putting another toy inside. He gave her his usual cheeky smile as he put his blankie in the bag, throwing his arms around her legs and hugging her, "Is its okay that's I calls you mommy?"

He stared at her innocently, handing her a drawing he'd made of the three of them. Two larger people on the outside and a little kid in the middle. He pointed to the one with the giant bow on her head, the label 'momie' underneath it, "Tha's you!"

Brooke's heart melted completely and she felt the tears pool in her eyes. She had to fight them back but it was so touching. Everything in her life was completing itself. She had a perfect job, and she was forming the perfect family. She knelt down, her lips brushing the boy's forehead as Chris walked in. Arms wrapped around Michael, Brooke snuggling him close to her, "I would love to be your mommy. If daddy says it's okay."

Chris stopped in the doorway, his eyes widening and heart racing as he caught on the end of that conversation. Before he could say a word, Michael was looking at him with wide, pleading eyes, "Cans I, Daddy? Cans I?"

The man met his girlfriend's eyes, a slow, wide smile sliding over his lips, "Of course you can."

"I's gonna go tell grandmommy!"

The boy slammed the door in his excitement, leaving the two adults standing there with love in their eyes. Neither even debated warning the boy that reminding Victoria she was old was a bad thing, too caught in what they were feeling for each other and that perfect child.

"You really want to be his mom?"

Brooke bit her lip and nodded her head, stepping forward slowly and letting out a breath. "I really do. He's the best boy ever, Chris. You've raised him so perfectly. It'd be such an honor to have him as my own."

Scooping her up into his arms, he let out a happy laugh. He spun her around and kissed her deeply, "I love you so much. Mikey and I would be honored to have you in our family. You're all that boy talks about. He's always asking when his Brookie is coming to see him or if he can go to Brookie's house to play. You are so amazing, Brooke, you have no idea."

Brooke smiled widely and let out a laugh as she pressed their lips together lovingly again. "I love you too." She snuggled close to him and let out a squeal, "Does this mean that I can … you know, move in? Possibly? You can say no! I don't wanna intrude if you're not ready..."

He gave her that amused look that said 'Oh my gosh, you're rambling.' and she trailed off, "...And I'll quit rambling now."

Chris laughed loudly and pulled a key out of his back pocket, setting it in the center of her palm, "I was going to ask you tonight. I know you already know where one of the spares is, but I had your initials put on this one. I've wanted you to move in for a long time; I just didn't want to rush you."

Brooke's eyes widened, "The initials are pink!" She smiled and giggled, launching herself forward into his arms. "I love this. I love you. And our son."

_Our son. That sounds perfect._

He cupped her cheeks and kissed her deeply, slowly backing her into the door. A couple quick pecks and he stepped back, curling their fingers together, "Let's go get our boy."

Both of them came out to see Victoria lecturing Michael about calling her grandma in public. Brooke giggled and scooped Michael up into her arms, Victoria quietly congratulating her. "If you're a good boy, Mama'll persuade Daddy to give you two scoops of ice cream."

"Oh is _that_ how this is gonna work?" Chris looked between the tiny boy and Brooke with pure amusement, "It's Mommy and baby boy versus Daddy? How is that fair? Who is on team daddy?"

Michael giggled and snuggled close to Brooke's hold, his little hand playing with a strand of her hair. "I's on team mama and daddy!"

"Good answer," Chris snatched him up, peppering his cheeks with light kisses again. He wrapped one arm around Brooke and kissed the side of her head, "Come on."

A few minutes later the three sat at Karen's Café, Michael in a booster seat next to Brooke so he could see over the table. He bounced a little in the seat and looked around nosily at all the other patrons. When he spoke his voice was louder than he thought it was, carrying out over the room, "Daddy, why does that's man haves a piggy nose? Oink!"

Brooke giggled and quickly shut up at Chris's look, her eyes widening. "Sweetie, don't say stuff like that." She couldn't help but giggle again, her hands going over her mouth. "I'm sorry."

Chris glanced over at the offended man, trying to hold back his own laughter, "So sorry!"

The man stormed out and Chris buried his face in his hands, speaking around his laughter, "You c-can't sa-say things that h-h-honest in public!"

Michael's giggles filled along with his parents amused laughs. "Sweetie," Brooke said through her own, shaking her head. "Whisper."

Karen came up to them then, her own amused smile etched across her face. She had been watching with curiosity, seeing the whole scene unfold. "I never liked that customer anyways." She winked and looked down at the boy, "Hey, Mikey."

The boy's cheeks went pink immediately, the way they always did when people put their attention on him. He gave her a cheeky smile and half hid behind Brooke's arm, "Hewwo Miss Karen."

Chris leaned up and kissed her cheek, "Hey, Mama Roe. Mikey and I will have our usual if that's alright."

Brooke slipped Mikey out of his seat and cuddled him close to her chest, "And I'll have a big, juicy deluxe cheeseburger." She winked and rested her chin lightly on top of Michael's head. "And a milkshake. I wanna share with Mikey. Is chocolate okay, sweetie?"

The boy nodded immediately, "Yes, Mommy! Cho-co-late," he sounded out the word slowly, "is mys favorite! Is Daddy's favorite too!"

Chris grinned at their boy, leaning over and lightly patting his cheek, "And I'll take a strawberry shake too."

Brooke smiled, her eyes landing on Chris's as they stared happily at each other. Michael began to ramble about the stuff he did with Victoria, the boy being snuggled close to Brooke as she let out a relaxed breath. This was it. This was the start of that chapter where she'd start a full family. Her friends, mother, and Chris were behind her through this journey and she couldn't have asked for it any other way.

'I love you,' she mouthed with a wink, her free hand extending out onto the table to meet his half way.

He curled their fingers together and lightly brushed his thumb over her ring finger slowly. He blew her a tiny kiss and imagined the look on her face when he showed her what was inside the black velvet box tucked away in his sock drawer.

Tonight was the night.

_The beginning of the rest of their lives together._


End file.
